


These Things Happen

by Akira_Takeshi



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Coma, Coping, Eventual Romance, FTLGBTales, Jealousy, Lots of Angst, M/M, Magical Pregnancy, Major Character Injury, Mpreg, Original Abilities, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rewrite, Self-Insert but not Really, Sequel Coming After Completion, Shonen-ai, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, extended, loke is a flirt, possible tissue warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-05-18 10:17:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 81,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14850885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akira_Takeshi/pseuds/Akira_Takeshi
Summary: After a freak accident lands Natsu in a coma, his nakama all try to keep their spirits high, especially a certain wizard who discovered they couldn't live without Natsu, only to lose him to the accident shortly after. 'It's not like he's dead...just in a coma that he might not wake from.'





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mdelpin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mdelpin/gifts).



> Thank you for taking the time to read this first chapter of 'These Things Happen', this is the first of many chapters to come. I am rewriting this story to fix the errors and problems that were in the original, as well as to lengthen it and fill in more detail where I feel it is needed.

 

Natsu and Happy arrived at the train station shortly after Lucy and Erza, the last team member they were waiting on to arrive was Gray. "Natsu, where's Gray, wasn't he with you last night due to his apartment complex being refurbished?" Lucy asked the Dragon Slayer. Natsu shook his head. "No, he never showed up, I'm guessing he stayed with someone else. Probably Juvia." Lucys brow furrowed. "That's odd when he left the guild hall, he said he was heading to your place to crash for the night because you'd offered," she said. Erza nodded. "He did say that, but we'll ask him when he shows up. I'm sure there's a logical explanation for his tardiness and why he didn't arrive. If not I'll beat it out of him." she grinned, causing Natsu and Lucy to both scoot away from her, and sweat drop.

Gray arrived about five minutes later. He was fully dressed, which surprised all four of the wizards currently waiting on him. "Gray Fullbuster, you better explain yourself right now!" Erza demanded. Gray shook his head. "I'll talk about it on the train, isn't it about to depart?" he asked. Just then the broadcaster went off, stating that their train was due to leave in fifteen minutes, and they had started to board.

Erza let out a breath and glared at the ice make wizard as they boarded the train. Of course, she brought her massive amount of luggage, she always did. She was Erza Scarlet. After they took their seats, Lucy was next to Gray who was across from Natsu who sat next to Erza. "Alright, Gray. Talk." Erza said in her ever commanding tone.

Gray nodded. "As I was about to head to Natsu's place, I realized my necklace was missing. So I went to look for it. It turned out it was back at the guild hall, but by the time I had found it, the time had gotten so late Mira told me to take a room there, and I agreed to do so." Erza nodded. As the train started moving Natsu groaned and his face turned green. He doubled over and held his stomach. Erza, taking pity on him knocked him out and placed his head on her lap, petting his hair.

"Alright, listen up everyone. We're trying to not only gather intel while in the town where we're staying for the next couple days, but we're also on the lookout for any of those criminals that are kidnapping people. We also need to find out where they are taking the ones they've already kidnapped." Gray and Lucy nod. "We'll have to make sure to keep damages to a minimum, that means no overdoing it." She finishes.

"After we arrive, we'll head to our inn and check in for the night before gathering some intel." A few hours later they arrived in the town the job was in. Natsu groaned as he was shaken back to the world of the living. "Uugh...is the train ride over?" he asked weakly. Lucy giggled a bit, and Erza shook her head. They really ought to look into something for his motion sickness. "Yes Natsu, let's get to our inn, and we can then go out for a late lunch before we go to talk to the person who we're doing the job for," Erza said. Natsu nodded weakly as he slowly made his way off the train.

Fifteen minutes and only one unconscious train attendant later, Team Natsu made its way into the small, yet bustling traders town. They all looked around in slight awe. The town was _massive_ there were street vendors for all sorts of things lining the sidewalks as people walked around.

"There's the inn," Erza said, as they made their way to a nice looking decent sized building. They all walked inside. "Hello, we're staying here for the next couple weeks, I called ahead of time to rent two rooms. The name is Erza Scarlet," she said. The woman at the desk nodded, she checked the reservation list and nodded.

"Scarlet...Scarlet...Ah! Here we are, your rooms are six and twelve dear." she smiles and hands Erza the keys. "They're right across the hall from one another, I do hope that's alright," she said. "That is fine, thank you," Erza said, before grabbing the handle to her baggage trolley. The woman behind the desk visibly sweatdropped at the sheer amount of luggage the young woman had. That and the fact that one of the faces of her companions seemed a little bit on the green side. Natsu was still recovering, and he was leaning slightly against Gray, who for some reason didn't seem to mind.

They headed to the hall their rooms were in. "Alright boys, you're in twelve, Lucy and I are in six. We're right across the hall from you, so behave!" Erza said sternly. "A-Aye!" Natsu and Gray said, with one arm wrapped around one another's shoulders, causing Lucy to shake her head and mumble about 'another Happy.' before she entered the room she was to share with Erza.

Gray unlocked the door to his and Natsu's room for the duration of their stay and deposited the still groaning Dragon Slayer upon the bed. "You better not hog all the covers Natsu." Gray murmured. "I won't ice for brains." Natsu retorted. "Shut it flame breath!" Gray hissed back, before turning to glare at Natsu, who was simply atop the bed how he'd been deposited, which would have been semi-provocative had he been trying. Gray looked at Natsu and shook his head.

Eventually Natsu flipped himself onto his back and dangled his legs off the foot of the bed. "Man I'm starving. Happy, did you bring anything to snack on?" he asked. "Aye sir! I always bring fish!" Happy said, before beginning to rummage through his backpack. Natsu sat up using his elbows and looked at Gray, who had apparently stripped sometime during the trip here. "Gray your clothes," he said. "Wha-!?" Gray exclaimed. "How'd that happen!?" Natsu simply chuckled. After about an hour of them making sure they had everything they needed, the team met up and went to a cafe to eat.

* * *

"Okay, this is what we know so far. From the job flyer. This job is about catching some kidnappers. They're grabbing any young child who show magical abilities and taking them off to who knows where. After we speak to our contact here in town, we'll gather intel. If anyone finds anything, I want to be told as soon as possible." Erza said. "We need to try to refrain from going overboard on this job, our pay is depending on it," Lucy said. Natsu nodded while drooling over the delicious smells coming from the kitchen.

A waitress came by and flirted with Natsu, who either didn't notice or wasn't interested. She then took everyone's orders, then winked at Natsu who didn't respond before heading to the kitchen to put in their orders. Some fresh bread, meats, and sauces were delivered to their table as appetizers to eat before the meal, of course, Natsu happily dug in, and smothered his bread in hot chili paste and sauces before devouring it quickly. After a while their entrees arrived, Natsu promptly dug into his steaming hot, spicy food, and Happy dug into his huge fish. Everyone else ate at a normal pace, but there was never really any stopping Natsu when he was hungry, especially when the food was as good as what they were currently eating.

After a short while, Natsu had finished his meal, as had Happy.

"So, after we finish here we're going to see the woman who sent in the job. She's got some information, as well as a picture of a few of the kidnapped children." Erza said. Natsu nodded, then went off into his own little world thinking about fire, and how good spicy food was. None of the wizards noticed the eyes watching them as they conversed and ate their lunch. A short while later they paid for their food and left the establishment. Erza had taken the time while they were settling into their rooms at the inn to ask about the address of the woman who put the job out. She was successful, and they headed there.

"Alright, everyone. Here's the deal. We're going to go inside and talk to her, get the information she can provide us with, then split off into two teams and go searching for any other information. If anyone finds anything, anything at all I want you to contact me as soon as possible. You got that?" she asked, making sure to get Natsu's attention since the Dragon Slayer was known for going off into his own thoughts when others were speaking, particularly if he found their words boring. She always made sure to repeat things, especially if the first time she spoke about them, it was around food. It was more for Natsu then anyone else on the team, but she knew not to doubt the team.

"Alright, here we are." she finished as they arrived at a rather large, very nice house. Erza walked up to the door with purpose and knocked soundly. Someone in a uniform answered the door. "Hello, is Lady Lilliah here?" she asked. "We're wizards from Fairy Tail, answering her job for finding the children who have been taken," she said. "This way, I'll get the lady to meet you in the grand room."The butler said. He led them to a big room, with many chairs and couches in it. The wizards stood, so as not to get anything upon the nice furniture.

* * *

Five minutes passed and a very beautiful woman walked into the room. "Hello Fairy Tail wizards, thank you so much for coming." She was visibly distraught. "My daughter and son were taken recently, and I'm very worried. I sent for help before they were taken, but now I do hope that you are able to find them and save them. I can't imagine what those crooks are doing to my precious children!" she all but yelled.

"You're in luck then, because the strongest team in Fairy Tail is on the job! I'm all fired up now!" Natsu exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air. "Aye, sir!" Happy said, before mimicking Natsu, causing Lucy to shake her head and giggle softly. "Alright, you said you had a little bit of information, as well as a picture of a few of the children that were taken, correct?" Erza asked, all while being professional.

"Y-yes, here. This is a picture of little Yukina, her twin Kian, and their two friends Hemarin and Jainie. They've all been taken, but not all at once. The kidnappers, they scope the town out sometimes I think to find the children with magical abilities and then they take them. Yukina was taken from her bedroom, and Kian was taken from the backyard. Despite all of the guards, no one was able to stop them. They use a type of magic I've never seen before." she said. Erza nodded, Natsu was listening closely, as well as taking in the various scents in the house itself.

"We'll find them, all of them, and we'll return them all safely to their houses," Lucy said, trying to reassure the woman. Lucy's words made the woman smile, as well as seemed to give her hope as her eyes shined for a few moments. "Thank you, thank you...I'm so worried," she said, before slumping down onto one of the many overly plush seats around the room. "We will start seeing if we can gather any more information from the townspeople," Erza said, before bowing. "Come on guys, let's get going. We need to make sure we find the kids before anything happens." she finished. Then the team left.

"Alright, Natsu you come with me, Gray you go with Lucy. Happy, you will be the go-between for both of the groups since you can fly and as long as you're not carrying someone you're able to do so until you decide not to." Erza said. "Okay everyone, we'll meet back at the Inn at exactly eighteen hundred hours. Got it?" Erza asked. "Aye!" "Yes, ma'am!" "You got it!" were heard.

The teams them went off in separate directions. "Gray, do you think we might be able to find something in the library?" Lucy asked. "We might, it's a good place as any to start seeking clues," he answered. Gray couldn't help but feel a nagging at the back of his mind as if something was going to go wrong. He chose to brush it off, it was likely just the situation, and the current job he was getting it from. The kids were certainly not safe in the hands of any kidnappers.

"Alright Natsu, I know you were sniffing the air at the house, did you smell anything odd?" she asked. "Yeah, there was a scent of sulfur as well as blood. The house itself has a nice clean scent, like that of a meadow. So I know the sulfur has to be from the kidnappers." He responded. "There is a mountain range nearby, perhaps the sulfur is within it?"Erza thought out loud. Natsu simply shrugged. "In any case, we're remaining within the town for today, and we'll venture outside tomorrow. If the kidnappers come we'll be ready for them." Erza spoke, Natsu nodded.

Lucy and Grey were researching various things about the town history when they stumbled across something strange. "Gray, this town used to sacrifice magic users!" Lucy whispered to him. "Happy, go tell Erza, she's going to need to know this!" Lucy said. "It's almost time to head back to the inn too, perhaps we should get a head start? We are a ways from it, and you know how Erza gets if we're late." Gray said. Lucy nodded. "Yes, let's go," she said, before getting up and placing the book on the shelf. They left the library.

"Erza, Erza! Lucy and Gray found something! They'll tell you at the inn!" Happy said. "Alright, we should return soon anyway, come Natsu," she said, before grabbing the dragon slayer by his elbow and dragging him back towards the inn with her. Natsu opened his mouth to protest but decided he'd rather not be knocked unconscious and dragged. Happy flew behind them. A few minutes later everyone had arrived at the inn.

"Alright, what did you two find?" Erza asked. "I'll tell you in the room Erza, I don't really want people to overhear us," Lucy said, causing Erza to nod, if Lucy was nervous about talking about it in public, it had to be something she felt was serious. So the team headed into the girls' room. As soon as the door shut, Lucy turned to face the group.

"Gray and I came across some old town history. They used to sacrifice magic users here. They said that it was to appease their gods." she said. Erzas face paled a bit at that. "You don't think it's a trap, do you?" Natsu asked. "Doubtful, they wouldn't risk getting caught for kidnapping and sacrificing famous wizards like us," Erza said. Gray nodded in agreement. "Yeah, besides they wouldn't want a flame brain like you as a sacrifice," he said, which earned him a glare from Erza. "Alright, let's go find something to eat for dinner, then we'll come back to the inn and get some sleep," Erza said. "Yes, food!" Natsu said excitedly.

As the wizards left the inn, none of them noticed the eyes watching them from the darkness.

The group made their way to a nearby specialty shop and picked up some quick noodles and drinks. They then headed back to the inn to make their food. Natsu and Gray went into their room, while Happy went with the girls. He already knew with the two boys sharing a bed that he'd get kicked off when they slept.

"I'm going to go shower, Gray," Natsu said after slurping his noodles down. Gray was allowing his noodles to cool before he was going to eat them. "Alright, N-flamebrain." Gray said, before going back to looking at the town pamphlets that were in the room. Natsu headed into the bathroom and turned the shower on scalding hot. He'd strip down, folding each article of his clothing before getting in. He'd wash up rather quickly, but thoroughly. He'd then step out, use his magic to dry off, and put a fresh pair of boxers on, before exiting the bathroom with his folded clothes.

Gray saw the small pile of perfectly folded clothes and his eyebrow rose, but he said nothing to Natsu, who simply placed them on the desk in the room. "You can go shower now Gray," Natsu said.

"Thanks, flamebrain,"Gray said, before hopping off the bed and heading to the bathroom. Gray turned the water on ice cold, then slipped out of his boxers. Natsu got comfortable on the bed before Gray finished his shower. After about twenty minutes, Gray was done showering, he'd dry off then slip into the room, sans boxers. He'd forgotten to take a clean pair into the bathroom with him, lucky for him Natsu seemed to be asleep, so he grabbed a pair from his bag and slipped them on, before getting into bed. He'd shut the light off and close his eyes.

During the night Natsu would manage to snuggle into the ice make wizards side. Gray for some reason or another nuzzled into Natsu's salmon colored hair in his sleep. The next morning, the boys were roused by a knock on the door early the next morning. "Gray, Natsu it's time for breakfast!" Lucy's voice could be heard. Gray woke up first, feeling a warmth against his side. He'd blink to clear his vision before looking down.

Natsu looked so innocent while he was asleep, and it was weird that his heat didn't bother Gray at all. It actually felt comforting. Gray would untangle himself from the bed sheets and from around Natsu and get up. "We're coming, Lucy, we'll be out soon!" he called out. He shook his head and began trying to rouse the sleeping dragon slayer. "Yo, flame brain! Breakfast is going to get cold if you don't hurry!" Natsu flew up. "What?! FOOD!" he cried out, which Gray thought was cute.

 _'_ _Did I seriously just think something the flamebrain did was cute?'_ he thought to himself, before shaking his head. He was already dressed as Natsu threw his own clothes on. "Come on, come on! Food!" Natsu said, causing Lucy to giggle a bit. "Erza is downstairs, she's waiting for us," she said.

The trio made their way downstairs. Erza and Happy were already at a table inside the inn, there was a spread of food before them. All sorts of delectable breakfast foods. Natsu cheered as he made his way to the table. Gray found himself staring at Natsus backside, his cheeks turned a bit red. "Are you feeling alright Gray? Your face is red." Erza asked. Gray nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking is all." he lied. Erza shrugged and went back to eating her pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream on them.

Natsu piled his plate high with everything that was steaming hot. Eggs, pancakes, sausages, bacon. If it was hot, he ate it. The heat was good, spicy was better, but the heat was good enough. Natsu thought to himself.

Gray grabbed some fruits and yogurt, as well as a plate of pancakes and some bacon. He ate his food. The team just ate, they didn't really converse. Of course, if any of them were paying close attention, they would have noticed someone or something was watching them. After breakfast, the group headed out into the town.

"Alright, today we're all heading towards the mountain range to see if we can find any place that smells of sulfur," Erza said as they reached the large clearing that was near the house they were inside the day before. "Happy, can you fly up and see if you spot anything that looks strange?" Erza asked. "Aye, sir!" Happy said before he shot up into the air to begin scouting.

They were traveling through the fields for a good hour at the least before Happy flew down. "About a mile ahead I can see smoke!" he exclaimed, the tiny exceed seemingly surprised. Erza and the others nodded at him. "Good job buddy, I'll reward you with a fish when we get home!" Natsu said. "Yay fishies!" Happy said.

Gray couldn't help but notice how attractive Natsu was when he smiled. After about fifteen minutes of walking, the group arrived at the location. It was the mouth of a cave, and there was a really acrid smell about the place. "This place reeks of evil," Natsu said, grimacing as his nose caught a whiff of something putrid, like that of rotten meat or possible decomposition of some kind.

The group slowly entered the cave. Natsu at the front as he was the one searching for the kids with his nose. The others followed him silently. The further into the cave they got, the more putrid the smell grew. There were bones and skulls lining the path as they walked. Eventually, they came upon a sheer drop, that opened up into a huge room. There was an altar at the center, covered in runes, and blood. Lucy gasped as she saw cages with kids in them. "Look!" she whispered. "There are the children!" she finished. "We need to regroup, we can't risk coming in here with no plan," Erza said. Natsu grit his teeth. "Erza, I can't just leave them here, they're suffering. I can hear and smell it," he said quietly. The look in his eyes showed worry, worry for what those poor children had already endured or what they were still enduring in the conditions they were being held in.

Erza nodded. "Alright then, here's what we'll do," she said. She explained that Natsu and Gray were going to work together to break the kids out, then Happy would transport them to safety while Lucy and Erza took out the men that were inside the cave. "Alright, Gray, you freeze the bars, Natsu you break them," Erza said. "Got it." the boys said. "Happy, we're going to need you to keep your wings out and save as many of the kids as you can, can you do that?" Lucy asked. Happy nodded. "Aye!" "Alright, go!" Erza said.

The boys jumped down, Natsu using his flames, Gray using his ice. Men would engage them, but they were swiftly defeated. Erza and Lucy took out most of them, but the ones guarding the cages would only attack the boys who were trying to get the kids out. The first cage had four kids, the second had six. There were four cages in total.

"Ice Make Geyser!" Gray called out, the geyser rushing forward and freezing everything in its path, bars included. "Fire Dragons Iron Fist!" Natsu cried out. The bars began to shatter, and Happy began to carry the children out. As they were so small, and light he could carry two total at a time. There were fifteen children in total, the four from the picture as well as others. The wizards made quick work of the kidnappers, and they even tied them up and left them for the authorities to handle.

"Yeah! We did it!" Natsu cheered. "A job well done!" Lucy smiled. Gray nodded, glad they'd not blown anything up or caused any unneeded destruction. "The magic council is sending a group to take the criminals. Apparently, they'd escaped from prison." Erza said. "They were trying to revive a dead god by sacrificing many children who were tied to various elements." she spat out. "Despicable beings." she finished. "I can't even imagine how scared they all have been, being held in such a horrible place," Erza said, clenching her fist.

The group exited the cave and headed to where the children had been taken. Happy had gotten them to a safe place in the fields, away from the cave. "Can any of you walk?" Lucy asked softly. The kids nodded. "We're wizards from Fairy Tail, and we're here to take you back home." she smiled. The children all weakly cheered.

The group escorted the children to the large house the woman who hired them lived in. "Oh! You found them, oh thank you!" The maid who answered the door exclaimed. "Come in, bring the little dears inside. I'll get my lady. She will be most pleased." she finished. The children and Team Natsu all entered the big room. The lady of the house came down quickly. "Oh, Yukina, Kian...welcome home. I'll call the other parents. Thank you wizards. Here is your payment." she said, handing them a huge bag of jewel.

"Thank you. Take care everyone." Erza said, before bowing and exiting the house. "We can go home tomorrow or do you all want to get some things to remember this place by?" Erza asked. "This place kind of makes my skin crawl..." Lucy said quietly. "We'll go home first thing in the morning." Erza said. Everyone agreed.

They headed back to the inn, and ate, then settled down for the night. Natsu showered again, once done he'd flopped onto the bed, and laid on his back. Gray then went to shower. He took a pair of boxers with him this time, as Natsu was wide awake. "Gray, what was that funny scent coming off of you this morning?" Natsu asked innocently. "It was nothing Natsu." Gray said quickly. Natsu had smelt his arousal, that was bad. "Alright, I thought you were getting sick." Natsu said, grinning a bit. Gray shook his head. After about five minutes Natsu noticed something. "Hey Gray...you actually said my name." he said softly. "So? We're friends aren't we?" Gray asked. "Of course we are." Natsu said, another smile forming on his face. _'Cute.'_ Gray thought, causing his cheeks to flare a bit. "Gray, are you sure you're okay? Your face is really red." Natsu said. "I'm fine flamebrain," Gray responded. "Good night." he finished, before Natsu could ask anything else. Gray shut the light off and laid on the bed. "Good night..." Natsu said before allowing his body to relax after the day's events and go into a rather peaceful sleep.

* * *

**To be continued. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	2. Of Camping, and Some Other Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsu and Happy choose another job for the team to go on. This one leads them to the outskirts of Magnolia where monsters are attacking and stealing medicine and herbs from a small town. During the camping an impromptu cuddle from Gray makes Natsu's body react, just what does this mean?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who have reviewed and wished me luck on this rewrite. It's very much appreciated. I hope you all continue to enjoy this story as I fix and edit it.

**Recap:** **_"Gray, are you sure you're okay? Your face is really red." Natsu said. "I'm fine flame brain," Gray responded. "Good night." he finished before Natsu could ask anything else. Gray shut the light off and laid on the bed. "Good night..." Natsu said._ **

* * *

The next morning Gray once more woke up with the dragon slayer curled up against his side. He couldn't help but smile, at how adorable Natsu was when he was sleeping. He shook his head. _'Why am I thinking these things? It's the flamebrain...'_ He sat up and let the sheets fall down his chest. He'd slowly pull his arm out from under Natsu, in hopes of not waking the dragon slayer before he made his way into the bathroom.

He was awake before the girls it would seem. So he took the time to get ready, and then he would try to wake Natsu up. About fifteen minutes before Gray would get a chance to wake Natsu, the dragon slayer would rouse on his own. He'd yawn and stretch, causing Gray to watch him. _'I've never noticed how sexy he looks when he's just waking up before.'_ Gray shook his head again, he really needed to clear his mind of these thoughts he'd been having the entire time they were on this job.

"Mmm...mornin' Gray," Natsu said, as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. There was then a knock on the door. "Gray, Natsu! It's time to go!" It was Erza's voice. "We'll be right out Erza," Gray called out. Natsu slid off the bed, still rubbing his eyes and he made his way to the bathroom. Gray watched him the entire time. He watched as Natsu walked, keeping his eyes on the muscles that flexed as the other rubbed his eyes. Of course, he couldn't tell Natsu anything he'd been thinking recently in fear of either ruining their friendship or worse.

Natsu brushed his teeth, and washed his hands, before heading back into the room. He grabbed his clothes and slipped them on. He stretched and popped his back before slipping his vest on, causing Gray to stare a bit more due to the stretching and twisting of his body. Natsu would then grab his bag and head towards the door. He'd turn and smile at Gray from over his shoulder. "Come on Ice Block, it's time to go," he said, before opening the door and talking with Erza until Gray joined them.

The group would take a walk through town, stopping at various places to pick up gifts for their friends. Happy had gotten Charla a dress that Lucy had helped him pick out, and Erza had gotten herself a new sword. Both Gray and Natsu got themselves something to remember the trip by, as well as some small things for a couple friends. Lucy bought Levy a new book she was sure the solid script wizard would love. Then again Levy loved almost all books.

The walk to the train station from the shopping plaza was surprisingly uneventful, Gray was spending more time staring at Natsu's backside, and less time calling him names or fighting with him. When Erza abruptly stopped in front of Gray, he was too busy not paying attention to stop, and so he ran into her back. "You alright Gray?" Lucy asked, slightly concerned for her friend and team mate. "Yeah, sorry I wasn't paying attention," he said as he chuckled nervously, his cheeks slightly pink as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

You sure you're not getting sick Ice Block? Your face is all red again," Natsu said, while leaning really close to Grays face. "O-Oi flame breath back off!" Gray said. Erza pulled Natsu away from Gray. "Come now, let's go home," She said, before dragging Natsu to the train. "Lucy, you sit next to me, Gray you sit next to Natsu," she finished, causing the boys to grumble, when Gray was secretly cheering inside, he cut that off rather abruptly though. He couldn't give away what was wrong with him, or rather what he felt was wrong.

Since the train ride back was going to be a bit longer than the one to the job, due to having to go around the mountains. The track headed only one way from the town. As the group all got situated Happy would sit next to Lucy and Erza, the little blue cat didn't take up much space. As the train began moving Natsu would double over and clutch his stomach, groaning all the while. "Gray, can you do something about his noise please?" Lucy asked. "I can," Erza said, before punching Natsu in the gut, causing the fire user to be knocked unconscious, she would then lay the dragon slayer across Gray's lap.

"E-Erza!" Lucy cried out. "Did you have to hit him so hard?" she finished. Grays face turned a slight red as he looked at Natsus unconscious face. The Ice Make Wizard made no move to touch Natsu, but as the train hit a bump, and the dragon slayer was almost sent flying onto the floor, Gray's first impulse was to grab Natsu and hold him to keep him from falling. He placed one of his chilly hands on Natsu's forehead and frowned, Natsu was hotter then normal he could swear it, and that usually meant something bad. Natsu's body temperature was usually pretty mellow, but the fact that Gray could feel the heat had him worrying a bit more than he'd care to admit for his pink haired comrade.

* * *

About halfway through the ride home Natsu awoke. Gray had nodded off, as had the others. He blinked, he could feel the train moving, but he didn't feel sick. He opened his eyes and looked up into Gray's face, which caused the dragon slayer to blush.  _'I'm on Gray's lap, why am I not sick?'_ he thought to himself. He'd quickly close his eyes as he saw Gray's opening, and he pretended to be asleep again. "Hello dear, would you like to get you and your companions some food for when they awaken? It's fresh, and inexpensive," the train attendant asked.

"Do you have any fruit, ice cream, spicy food, fish or cheesecake?" Gray asked quietly, so as to not awaken his friends. "Yes of course. We have all sorts of things, you can order anything you want," the woman said. "I'll take a large strawberry cheesecake, a bowl of small fish, the spiciest thing you have in large, some ice cream, and a fruit salad if you would," Gray said, listing off the foods he knew Natsu, Erza and Happy liked as well as something for Lucy. It was easy to feed the three Gray had essentially grown up with more than the girl he barely knew just yet

The attendant smiled and used the magic inside the cart to summon up all the various foods. "Alright, here's the cheesecake," The woman said. "That goes to the red-haired one there, the ice cream is mine, the fish are for the cat, the fruit salad for the blond and the spicy food for this one," Gray says, gesturing to everyone as he spoke about them. The woman nods and manages to rouse them all to give them their food. "The train will be stopping for a few minutes, so you should eat while we're not moving," she explained, before walking away.

Natsu sat up rather quickly once the train came to a complete stop. He didn't want to say anything about how he didn't feel nauseated on Gray's lap, he'd never live it down! It would just be another thing for the ice user to hold over his head. "Thank you for the food Ice block," Natsu said. "Yeah," Was all Gray said before he began eating his ice cream. Erza was happily eating her cheesecake. Happy had already devoured his entire bowl of small fish, and Lucy was enjoying her fruit. "Sorry for just getting you a fruit salad Lucy, I wasn't really sure what you liked," Gray said. "It's fine Gray, I love fruit so it works," Lucy said, giving Gray a soft smile.

 _'It's weird, I used to think she was pretty, but now I classify Natsu as that...god flame breath would kill me if he found out.'_ Gray thought to himself. "Mmm," Natsu said as he inhaled his food. **"The train will be departing in ten minutes, please make sure you're seated when we begin,"** The trains operator announced. "Natsu lay back down." Erza said, causing Natsu to groan. He begrudgingly laid back down on Gray's lap. "Try not to overheat my lap, flame breath." Gray said. "Can't make any promises ice block." Natsu said, before closing his eyes. He dozed off before the train began moving. "How can he fall asleep so fast?" Lucy asked. "Who knows, bubt at least he's not groaning," Erza said.

"We'll arrive in Magnolia in a few hours," Erza said. "If you feel like taking a nap you can. After we get back, we'll go report to the Master then head to our homes," she finished. Gray nodded. "Sounds good to me," Lucy said. "Aye sir!" came from Happy. Erza remained awake the remainder of the trip, Lucy was busy looking out the windows at the trees and fields they were passing through. Happy was asleep on his back with his paw on his own belly. Natsu was sleeping peacefully on Gray's lap.

"We'll have to have you use your lap more often Gray, it seems that Natsu is able to travel comfortably that way," Erza said. "Hm? Oh sure." Gray said, he wasn't really paying attention to the words being said, truthfully. He was busy envisioning things he never thought he would ever think about. He was thinking about what it would be like to be in a relationship with Natsu, the one he calls flame breath, and who he fights with all the time. Of course they were friends, they'd always been there for one another. They would beat one another up as children of course, but they were also opposing elements. Natsu was fire, and had the temper to match. Gray was ice, but also had a fiery temper. Gray would sigh as he rubbed his temples before he'd try to shake his thoughts back to being normal again.

A few more hours pass by rather quickly for the sleepers and daydreamers. **"Now arriving at Magnolia Station, if this is your stop, please exit the train in an orderly fashion, thank you for choosing Fiore transit,"** The train operator announced. Gray began shaking Natsu's shoulders, which caused the dragon slayer to nuzzle into the ice wizards stomach. "Come on flame breath," he muttered with a blush.

This did not pass unseen by Erza, who simply grinned to herself. "Flame Breath, we're home. Get off!" Gray said, he didn't want to push the Dragon Slayer off his lap. "If he won't wake up, just carry him Gray," Erza said. "Ugh, fine," Gray groaned. He managed to pick Natsu up and carry him, Happy carried the two boys bags. "I wonder how he's so deep asleep." Lucy said out loud. "I guess sleeping on Gray's lap was comfortable or something." Erza said. "Or maybe Natsu liiiiiiiiiikes him!" Happy exclaimed, causing the ice make wizard to blush once again, he'd also cough. "I seriously doubt that Happy, and Natsu would roast us both alive if he heard you," Gray said.

"Oh come now Happy, that's impossible. They're opposing elements," Lucy said with a laugh. "You can never really know though, Lucy," Erza said. The group conversed as they made their way back to the guild hall. "Mmm..." Natsu began to wake up. "Natsu, you're awake!" Happy said, as he happily began flying around his friend. Gray had laid Natsu down on a bench at one of the many tables around the guild hall, before he had headed to his own house.

 _"Oh good, you're awake."_ A voice said to Natsu, causing the dragon slayer to jump up and assume a fighting position."Who is there?!" he growled out, not all that happy about a random voice whispering to him. _"I'm here to warn you Dragon Slayer. Do not do something reckless. You could lose those you love, all of them! Hahahahah!"_ The voice said again, this time Happy heard it to, and he clung to Natsu. "N-Natsu, lets go home!" he cried, clinging tightly to his friend. Natsu nodded and picked up his bag, before he headed out of the guild hall and down the path towards his house. A deep frown marring his face as he thought about the strange voice.

* * *

The sky was dark and the moon was high and full. There was an ominous ring around it, but only the superstitious believed in those right? Natsu and Happy made it to their house and went inside. Natsu stripping down to his boxers and scarf before falling on his back onto his bed and back to sleep. Happy slept in his own little bed as well.

Erza and Lucy were already at the Guild Hall in the morning when Natsu and Happy arrived, as usual Gray was the last as he was not a very happy person in the morning, especially when he had a stalker like Juvia to deal with. Speaking of Juvia, the blue haired woman was absolutely over the moon. "Gray-sama! Gray-Saaaama!" she cried out, shaking her backside as she held out a lunch box to Gray who had just arrived.

Gray laid his eyes on Natsu who was grinning as he spoke to Mira, probably about the last job they went on. Gray smiled, causing Juvia to go 'Fwaaaaah!' and grip her own blushing cheeks before almost fainting. Gray walked over to his team mates, he took a seat at the bar. "Hey Mira, can I get a smoothie?" he asked. "Of course Gray, same as usual?" Mira asked. "Yeah, thanks," he said. Natsu would look over at Gray but say nothing as he ate food that Mira placed in front of him.

Erza had a soft smile on he face as she ate some of her strawberry cheesecake. Lucy was talking animatedly to Levy, she handed Levy the book, and the solid script wizard promptly hugged her. She hugged back of course.

"Hey Ice Block, Juvia is staring at you with those creepy eyes again," Natsu said, between bites of flaming chicken and beef. "Drop it flame breath," Gray grumbled, he did not want to deal with Juvia today. Not after those dreams he had last night. Just thinking about them made his nose start bleeding. "Oh my Gray, here!" Mira said, handing him a napkin. "Your nose is bleeding," she finished as he gave her a strange look. "Oh, thank you Mira," Gray said, as he took the napkin and wiped his nose off, cursing inside his head at the reason for it happening. He'd peek at Natsu and Happy as they headed to the job board from the corner of his eye before he'd go back to focusing on his smoothie.

Natsu went off to look at the job board. "What kind of job do you think we should take Happy?" He asked. "Something that pays in fish!" Happy exclaimed, causing Natsu to laugh. "Maybe something near a place that has a lot of fish for you would work. Being paid in fish wouldn't pay the rent," he said, Happy nodded. "True," They kept looking at the job board.

"Oh, this one would be perfect for the team," Natsu said. "The pay is decent, and it's just on the outskirts of Magnolia! So no transportation!" Natsu cheered. He grabbed the job off the board and went over to his team mates. "Hey guys, what do you think of this job?" He asked, placing the paper on the bar top. Erza looked at it. "Looks like it'll be simple to me," she stated. Lucy nodded in agreement, and Gray looked at it as well. "Yeah, looks like it'll be a quick and easy job. Just killing some monsters," he said. Once it seemed like everyone was in agreement Natsu would take the flyer to Mira to get it stamped.

"Mira, we're going to take this job!" Natsu said. Mira nodded and took the flyer from him. "Alright, I'll phone the people who sent it in, so they'll be waiting for you. Have fun, try not to destroy too much!" Mira called out, as the group had already begun heading out. Natsu turned and grinned, while waving his arm. "See you all in a little bit!" he called out, before the doors shut behind him.

"We'll meet at Natsu's house once we get all our things together, since there's a path from there to the place we're heading. Pack light, bring camping supplies," Erza said. "Half an hour. No longer," she finished. "Alright, we'll meet at Natsu's place," Lucy and Gray said, before the group split apart and went to their respective homes to gather their needed supplies. Natsu and Happy of course would just head on to their house discussing various stuff.

Natsu walked with his hands behind his head, and a grin on his lips as he and Happy went to their house. "We'll bring our fishing poles to be able to catch fish while we're out," Natsu said, causing Happy to cheer. "Aye!" Gray packed a couple changes of clothes, and his hygiene supplieshe'd then head to Natsu's place. When he arrived he knocked. "Oh Gray!" Happy said. "Come in, Natsu is just getting ready," he finished.

The dragon slayer was packing his tent, cot and a few extra outfits. He also grabbed his tooth brush. He then headed into his living room. "Make yourself comfortable ice block. The girls won't be here for at least another hour," he said, before sitting on the couch and turning the tv on, he began channel surfing. 'Fairy Tail does it again! This time they saved a group of children from being sacrificed! There were no damages to the town this go around, just to the cages in which the children had been held!' the news reporter said.

"Wow, they didn't get the news skewed this time," Natsu said. "Tell me about it," Gray said, before plopping down next to Natsu. "Hey Natsu, I have a question for you," he said, causing Natsu to look at him. "Okay, what's the question?" Natsu asked. "Is there anyone at the guild you like?" Gray asked. Natsu mulled the thought for awhile. "Of course there is. I like everyone," Natsu said, causing Gray to mentally facepalm. He should have known Natsu would be that naive, and innocent to the question.

"Not what I meant, I meant like, as in like like," Gray explained. "Oh." Natsu squirmed around a bit, his face flushing, causing Gray to laugh. "Ah ha! You do!" he pointed at Natsu. "N-No I do not!" Natsu exclaimed. "Igneel said a dragon slayer is like a dragon, they have one mate for life," he said. Gray nodded a bit. "Do you know who your mate is?" he asked curiously. "No! It's not mating season, so the marks won't show up yet," Natsu explained. "I don't know what will happen if my mate rejects me though...probably something bad," he said softly. Just as Gray opened his mouth to speak, Erza and Lucy walked into the house without knocking.

"Are you boys ready to go?" Erza asked. "Yes," Gray and Natsu said. "Aye!" Happy exclaimed. "Alright then, let's get this show on the road! The trek from here should take about three hours. We'll make a camp outside of the town rather then stay within the town as the monsters are all outside anyway. Easier access to our job targets, faster finishing," Erza said, everyone agreed with her. "The job seems fairly simple, but make sure you don't let your guard down. That especially goes for you Natsu. You too Gray. No distractions," She said. "Yeah, we can't have you two messing up, and causing us to not get paid!" Lucy said.

"Like you have room to talk!" The boys retaliated. It was true, she really did mess things up. Especially if she used Aquarius, that volatile spirit constantly washed her and everything else in the vicinity away, which can cause a lot of damage. "Yeah, they've got a good point Lucy, your spirits can cause just as much if not more damage then they do," Erza said. "I-I know," Lucy said, her cheeks flushing.

The group falls silent as they keep walking. An hour passes and they arrive at the camping grounds, Natsu and Erza would set up their tents. "Alright, since we only have two tents, Gray you share with Natsu, Lucy you share with me. Happy will sleep wherever he feels like sleeping," Erza said. Natsu nods. "I guess it's good that I brought my big cot then. I'll set it up," He takes his pack off, then removes the cot, he unrolls it and sets it up in the tent.

Gray finds his eyes looking at Natsu's backside, the girls notice this and giggle, but say nothing to him. "I think Gray likes Natsu," Lucy whispered to Erza. "I agree, he's been watching him a lot recently," Erza responded. Natsu was too busy making noise, that even his dragon hearing didn't catch the girls whispers. Of course had he heard them, Gray would likely have been sent flying.

"There, it's all ready," Natsu said, before standing and dusting his pants off. He looks at Gray, whose face was red again. "There goes your face again. It's all red. Are you sure you're not sick?" he asked. Which snapped Gray out of his staring trance. "Sorry, I'm fine really," Gray said. "Were you thinking about whatever girl you have a crush on Gray?" Lucy asked out of the blue, causing Erza to snicker. "I don't see how that's your business," Gray groundout, before stalking offf towards the water.

"Natsu, you should go talk to him," Lucy said. "What, why me?" Natsu asked. "Because you're a boy, and so is he. You'll be more understanding of his predicament then a girl would be," Lucy explained. "Alright, alright. Fine. I'll go talk to the ice block, but you owe me!" Natsu said, before walking after Gray, using his nose he sniffed him out. "Hey ice block, are you going to be alright?" Natsu asked playfully. "Go away flame breath," Gray mumbled. "Not until you talk to me. The girls said they wouldn't understand your problem like another guy would. So here I am," Natsu said, he placed his hands on his hips and looked at Gray.

"By the way Gray, where is your jacket and shirt?" Natsu asked. "When did that happen!?" Gray exclaimed, before shaking his head. "I'm not sure you'd understand Natsu, it's complicated. I'm not supposed to have these feelings I do, for the person I have them for." he said. Natsu tilted his head to the side, before he took a seat next to Gray. "I'm not promising I will understand, but I am promising to listen if you want to talk about it," Natsu said. Despite people thinking Natsu was stupid, he was actually very intelligent, at least when it came to most things. In battle it was a whole different story. "Well, it started just recently. I've begun feeling something for someone I never noticed before. It's weird," Gray said, before dangling one of his legs down, and resting an arm on the other while partially leaning back.

"Well, what about the person made you start looking at them differently?" Natsu asked. Gray furrowed his brow. "I'm not really sure really. I guess I finally took the time to look at them, beyond our everyday interactions," Gray said. Natsu nods. "Well, maybe you should talk to them after we finish this job. The money we're making from this will let us take a little break," he said. "That's a good point, thanks for talking to me flame breath," Gray said. "Anytime ice block," Natsu said.

"Come on!" Natsu smiled and offered his hand to Gray to help him up. Gray took the offered hand and stood up. "Maybe you can find your clothes on the way back to camp," he finished. Gray chuckled a bit. "Probably a good idea. I can't keep buying myself new clothes all the time," Gray said, causing Natsu to laugh. Natsu's laugh reached Gray's ears and he smiled to himself. He liked the way it sounded, when Natsu wasn't laughing while in battle, but laughing at something he said. He wanted to make Natsu laugh some more, but he would wait until they got back home.

Erza smiled as Natsu and Gray emerged from the woods near the campsite. "Welcome back boys," Erza said. "Thank you," Gray said, Natsu simply nodded. "Sorry for offending you Gray," Lucy said. "It's fine Lucy, no harm done," Gray said. "Let's go meet with the mayor of the town so they know that we've arrived," Erza said. Everyone nodded in agreement and they headed into the town. "The house should be right down this path here. The middle of town, near the square the flyer said," Erza finished.

The house they arrived at was rather large, but not overly extravagant. It had a white picket fence, and a nice green lawn with some trees and flowers. The team go into the yard and Erza knocks on the door. "Fairy Tail wizards, we've been expecting you," a short young lady in a maids uniform said as she answered the door. "The mayor is in his office in the back of the hallway. I'll lead you there," the woman said, before opening the door to let them inside. The group files in an organized fashion, one after another. The maid then leads them down the hallway.

"Master, the Fairy Tail wizards are here to see you," the maid said. "Show them in, I'll talk to them. You may go," the mayors voice is heard. "You may enter. Take care wizards," the woman said, before leaving. Natsu and the others all entered the room and took seats. "Thank you for coming. As you can see the town is quite small, but we're rich in herbs and other medicinal things. The monsters attacking are ransacking our herbs and medicines," the mayor explained. Natsu founmd it kind of odd that monsters were stealing medicine but said nothing about it.

"We've made out campsite outside of town, near the largest path that the herbs grow on, we'll see and disperse the monsters as they appear. We've got a plan in motion. Lucy here will be using her celestial spirit Plue to help her pick herbs, while the rest of us lay in wait to battle as the monsters appear," Erza said, the mayor nodded. "Sounds good to m,." the mayor says. "Alright, we'll fight against them as long as it takes, without doing damage to the surrounding area," Lucy says.

"Make sure you bring the herbs to the doctor in town before you leave," the mayor said. "Of course," Erza said. "Well, we shall be going now," she finished, before heading out of the room. "You kids be careful now," a butler said as he led them outside and they all left. "So, we're fighting monsters that steal herbs and medicines," Lucy said. "Seems odd to me, but I suppose everything has a reason. When did they say the first delivery of medicine was going to come?" Gray asked.

"We have until tomorrow afternoon, before the first delivery cart comes in," Erza said. "Natsu, can you and Happy catch fish for dinner while Lucy and I get some vegetables?" Erza asked. "Aye!" Happy said for Natsu. "Sure, we can," Natsu says. "What about me?" Gray asked. "Oh, you can fish with Natsu if you want," Erza said. Gray nodded. "Alright, shouldn't be too long with three people fishing that way," he said.

The team split off, the boys headed to the river, and the girls to the town. They were going to eat a great meal, they just knew it. The boys all used their own fishing poles. "Fishy fishy fishy!" Happy sang and hummed happily, causing Natsu to smile and laugh a bit. Gray watched the two of them, and shook his head. He of course had no idea the girls and the cat were onto his feelings for Natsu. "Look Natsu! I caught one!" Happy said. "Ooh! It's a big one!" He tugged and pulled before pulling up a rather large fish. "Yay fishy!" he said happily.

Natsu helped him place the fish in a basket, before Natsu got a bite as well. "Whoa, this is a big one!" Natsu exclaimed, he stood up, and dug his heels into the ground as he was slowly pulled forward. Eventually, he pulled back more and a large fish surfaced, but the fish pulled back and caused Natsu to go flying into the water. "Ack!" Natsu yelped as he landed in the water. He came out, water cascading down his chest and along his abs. "Damn fish got away!" he growled, before sitting back down and recasting his line.

Gray couldn't help but watch the water drip down towards the v heading into Natsus pants. He licked his lips. After a short while the three catch enough fish to feed all five of them, so they head back into the camp site. "Here we go, a nice big haul of fish for us!" Natsu said before placing the basket down by the pot they'd be cooking fish stew in was.

The girls arrived shortly later, with a bunch of really good veggies. Carrots, onions, potatoes and other good stew vegetables. "This will be good! Erza, can you chop the fish and vegetables?" Natsu asked. "Of course Natsu!" Erza said. "Requip!" She called, requipping into a chefs outfit. She chopped everything up and even deboned the fish, it all fell into the pot. "Alright, now Happy, dump some water in the pot," Natsu said, He pulled a giant wooden spoon out of Happys backpack and began stirring the food with it.

After about twenty minutes the smell of the food alone was making everyone drool. "There we go, foods done!" Natsu said, smiling widely as he tests the stew. "Mmm!" Lucy said. "It smells delicious!" Erza exclaimed. "Happy, did you bring bowls?" Natsu asked. "Aye sir!" Happy said. He pulled four bowls and some utensils. "Here we go everyone. I hope you like it," Natsu said, he served up everyone then sat down himself. "Let's eat!" Lucy said, and then everyone dug in.

Gray sniffed the food tentatively. It's not that he didn't trust Natsu's cooking, it's just that he didn't know if he could trust the cat. Happy had been giving him weird looks the whole time they were fishing. _'It's almost as if...no that's impossible. Happy couldn't know...could he?'_ Gray thought to himself.

Everyone was chatting, Natsu was standing up and acting like a dork, which caused Lucy and Happy to laugh. Erza shook her head at Natsu's antics. Gray couldn't help but watch the dragon slayer try to imitate one of the people they'd faced before, he chuckled. Eventually night fell completely on the wizards, Natsu was laying on the grass next to Happy. Lucy and Erza were inside their tent, and Gray was simply watching Natsu. "Natsu, we should probably get some sleep too," Gray said, before standing up. Happy smirked knowingly at the ice make wizard. Natsu stood up and dusted himself off. "Yeah, you're right," he said smiling. Grays face flushed softly. Happy giggled a bit, before making himself comfortable on a tree branch above the camp site.

"Do you think he'll ever say anything?" Lucy whispered to Erza. "I don't know, he might be worried about ruining the friendship, I mean it's a common feeling really," Erza said. "True, but I think they'd be super hot together, don't you?" Lucy giggled. Erza nodded. "Yeah, truthfully there's a bunch of girls at the guild who ship them together," she said. "Really? I want to be part of it!" Lucy said, with another giggle. Meanwhile Natsu was asleep, and Gray was slowly nodding off, but he heard some of the whisperings. Of course he had no idea they were talking about him and Natsu. Eventually the girls chat themselves to sleep.

The next morning, Natsu is actually the first to rise. The warmth of the sun coming through the thin material of the tent rouses him. He tries to sit up, only to find himself being held down by an arm. Gray was on his side, with his arm slung over Natsu's stomach. Natsu's face heated up a bit at their position, but he simply moved Gray's arm off his stomach, and got up to get out of the tent, only to have Gray grab his arm and mumble 'Don't go...' before abruptly pulling the dragon slayer down on top of himself and wrapping his arms around him.

This of course made Natsu's face an even deeper shade of pink, he wiggled and eventually broke out of Gray's hold, replacing himself with a pillow. He shook his head, thoughts about things he'd never taken into consideration were going through his head as he went to take a leak behind a tree. Erza was the second to rise, followed by Happy, then Gray and finally Lucy. By the time Natsu got back to camp, his face was no longer red, and he was grinning like usual.

"Good morning everyone!" Natsu called out happily. "Good morning Natsu/flame breath," Erza, Lucy and Gray said. Happy flew over to Natsu from his tree. "Look what I caught Natsu! Do you think Charla will like it?" he asked. "She'll love it buddy," Natsu smiles, and pets Happy softly.

"Alright guys, let's get ready for the first day of monster hunt. The delivery cart will be coming through the path here in the next few minutes, Happy I want you in the air watching it. Lucy, get to herb picking. Gray and Natsu, you two stay on this side. I'll be on the same side as Lucy and Plue as they pick herbs to lure the monsters. Together we should finish this job in no time flat," Erza said. "Aye sir!" Happy said. "Sounds like one hell of a plan to me," Gray said, dropping back a few paces from the path. "I'm all fired up!" Natsu said, before backing away as well.

Gray watched the way Natsu's body moved as the younger of the two stepped backwards. Erza smirked as she watched them, before she took a few steps back on the other side, moving silently while keeping an eye on Plue and Lucy as they picked herbs. Happy flew around above the path, keeping an eye on the cart coming towards the town. The ground below Gray and Natsu began to rumble and move, it seemed as if one or more of the monsters was about to make itself known.

"Ice Make Lance!" Gray called out, sending five ice lances into the ground where it was peaking. "Fire Dragons Iron Fist!" Natsu called out, nailing the ugly creature in one of it's huge eyes. "Requip!" Erza called out, pulling two large swords and beginning to slice and dice the creatures showing up on the side she was on. The cart managed to make it into the town safely, as the wizards dispatched the monsters. After the cart made it safely into town, Natsu and the gang would use Natsu's nose to track down the den of the monsters. They'd raid it, and kill monsters as they had to. Eventually the monsters would retreat, and escape, leaving the Fairy Tail wizards to gather up the stolen supplies to return to the town.

They headed into the town after a few hours of killing, and gathering. "Here's the stolen supplies from the monsters den, we chased them off, they were desert dwellers, so we sent them back where they came from. We also collapsed the cave system they'd been using to attack your deliveries and brought you everything that was there that was taken," Erza said. "It's all right outside, and the monsters won't bother you anymore," Lucy said. "A job well done!" she cheered.

"Thank you wizards, we would have been in trouble if our deliveries kept getting stolen. Thank you, really and truly thank you," The mayor of the town said. "It was our pleasure. We do hope that everything goes well for you and your town from here on out," Lucy said. Erza nodded. "Yes, those monsters shouldn't come back and bother you anymore," she said. "Do take care of yourselves wizards, your payment is outside, your pink haired companion and his cat have it. I do hope it suffices," the mayor said.

Erza nodded, then stood up and walked out, followed shortly by Gray and Lucy. "We should be able to take a small break from working now guys," Natsu said. "There's a lot of jewel for all of us!" Happy said. "Let's get to camp and pack up, we can make it home before sundown," Erza said. "Aye sir!" Happy and Natsu said. Gray shook his head and chuckled at Natsu's antics. "You know, we should have a party," Lucy said. "That's a great idea, you know there's always a reason to celebrate with Fairy Tail. I'll talk to the maste," Erza said. Natsu walked with his arms behind his head, and a grin on his face. Gray couldn't seem to keep his eyes off Natsu. Happy flew around the group giggling a bit as he saw Gray staring at Natsu.

* * *

The trek back to Magnolia was rather uneventful. Gray kept staring at an oblivious Natsu, Erza and Lucy chatted like no tomorrow about the party they were going to get the master to throw, and Natsu kept thinking about that morning. His face growing a soft crimson as he thought about how handsome Gray was asleep, and then when he got grabbed. Well he was just lucky the other male wasn't awake, or he was sure to have been punched in the face!

There was a reason Natsu stayed away from camp for as long as he did when he went to go pee, it was because he'd grown semi-aroused, and was rather confused by it. How did it happen? What did it mean? His mind was going over those questions and more, such as why did Gray have that effect on him? He wished Igneel was around so he could ask him why this was happening to him, now of all times. Natsu of course had no idea Gray was in a similar condition as him.

"Hey Ice Block, do you think we could talk for a bit at my place before we get back to the guild?" Natsu suddenly asked. "Uh, sure Flame Breath," Gray responded, his mind suddenly began going a million miles an hour. _'Oh god, does he know? Could Natsu possibly know the thoughts I've been having for him?'_ He visibly gulped, though Natsu had already begun walking again. Gray smiled to himself, and inwardly cheered. He was going to get to be alone with Natsu!

About twenty minutes later they arrived in Magnolia. "Alright you guys. We'll meet you back at the guild hall after I talk to Gray, there's something I think he might be able to help me with," Natsu said. Erza nodded. "Alright, no killing one another, you hear me?" she said. "Loud and clear," Gray said, Natsu simply nodded. The two walked into Natsu's house. "I don't think this will take long, but would you like something to drink?" Natsu asked, before he took his shoes off at the door to his house. "Sure, tea would be great," Gray responded, before taking a seat on Natsu's couch.

Natsu came back into the room with two cups of tea, one iced for Gray, the other steaming hot for himself. "Gray promise not to laugh?" Natsu asked, his cheeks flaring lightly before he took a sip of his tea. "I won't laugh Natsu," Gray said, he had a feeling this was going to be a rather interesting chat. "Well, Igneel explained various things to me, like the birds and the bees...but he never explained...um...certain things," Natsu began, his cheeks growing a bit darker. "What do you mean Natsu?" Gray asked. "Um...well...y-you see I've been waking up sometimes and I feel...a weird sensation in my groin," Natsu admitted.

"You mean you were hard?" Gray asked. "Y-yeah...or mostly...b-but it's only happened a few times! I've...had dreams w-where I was with my mate...I can't see who they are though...they're always blurry and I can't tell if they're male or female," Natsu admits softly, he then goes to looking at his hands. "Natsu, that's part of maturing. What all did Igneel say about how your whole mating thing works?" Gray asked. "W-well...he said that when we find our mate, it's usually during mating season. Sometime in the spring I think, but it also depends on how old we are. I've never felt anything before just recently, at all. I've never..." Natsu squirmed a bit. "I-I figured...you'd know something about the things I've had happening to me recently," he explained.

"Yeah, I know what it's like, though I've not done much in ways of pleasuring either. Though I have rubbed one out a time or two, maybe you should try that?" Gray asked. "Uh..y-you mean touch myself?" Natsu asked. Gray nodded. "Yes. You should try it, see if it helps you," Natsu finished his tea and nodded, his cheeks still red. "I...I think I might know who my mate is..." he said softly. Gray heard him, and his heart sank. "I'm sure whoever it is will love to be with you Natsu," he said. Natsu simply shook his head before grinning at Gray. "We should probably get to the guild, I bet Erza thinks we killed one another by now," he offered Gray his hand to help him up. "Yeah, you're probably right," Gray said in agreement, and with that the two made their way to the guild, where Lucy, Erza and Happy were waiting for them outside.

* * *

 **To be Continued.**  
  
I hope you enjoyed this second chapter of the rewrite.


	3. Of Fishing and Vacations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erza and the others decide it's high time to activate 'Operation Gratsu' to get the two stubborn boys to realize they shared their feelings for one another.

_**Recap: "I...I think I might know who my mate is..." he said softly. Gray heard him, and his heart sank. "I'm sure whoever it is will love to be with you Natsu." he said. Natsu simply shook his head before grinning at Gray. "We should probably get to the guild, I bet Erza thinks we killed one another by now." he offered Gray his hand to help him up. "Yeah, you're probably right." Gray said in agreement, and with that the two made their way to the guild, where Lucy, Erza and Happy were waiting for them outside.** _

* * *

The boys made their way to the guild hall. Happy and the girls were waiting outside for them, Lucy waved at them, smiling. Natsu waved back, grinning a bit. "Thank you for the chat Gray, I couldn't ask a girl about that..." Natsu admitted, his cheeks flushing a small amount from his admission. Gray nodded. "Natsu, you're my best friend first and foremost. Whenever you need to talk to someone about anything you're not comfortable talking to the girls about, or even to Happy, you can talk to me. Your secrets are safe with me, nothing and no one can make me divulge any information about anything you confide in me. Not even torture," Gray said, as Natsu's mouth opened to ask something, he simply closed it and nodded. _'I can't ask that, he'd never look at me the same again.'_ Natsu thought to himself.

"Thank you, Gray," Natsu said, offering his best friend a smile, the smile didn't go unseen by Erza. "It's about time you boys joined us," Erza said with a light chuckle. "Well, they didn't kill one another. It doesn't even look like they fought," Lucy said. "I just needed to talk to another guy, and Gray is my best friend," Natsu said. "It's not something I can talk to a girl about, no offense," he finished. "No offense was taken, right Lucy?" Erza asked. "R-right!" Lucy said the look on Erza's face scared her for some reason.

The group walked into the guild hall. "Welcome back!" Mira smiled as they made their way inside. "We finished the job, and surprisingly no massive damage happened," Erza said. "Oh? What was the job you guys took again?" Mira asked. "The one to get rid of some monsters harassing a town near the outskirts of Magnolia," Lucy said, after taking a seat at the bar next to Erza. "Oh! That one," Mira said, nodding. "We got a call from the mayor, they were really appreciative of your guys work and wanted to let the master know, so I told him," she smiled.

"Where is the master now?" Erza asked. "He's off at some meeting now, you just missed him," Mira said. "When will he be back?" Erza asked. "Oh, I think it shouldn't be too long, a couple days at most," Mira said. "Thank you, Mira, can I get some cake please?" Erza asked. "Of course, we have your favorite as usual," Mira said, smiling as she gave Erza a big piece of her strawberry cheesecake. Erza took the cake and sat at a table to eat it. Lucy shook her head and suppressed a laugh at that, Erza really loved her cake.

"So Mira, do you know why Natsu has been acting so funny recently?" Lucy asked softly, wondering if the takeover wizard noticed anything. "Funny how?" Mira asked as she cleaned some glasses while talking to Lucy. "Well, he keeps blushing, and he asked Gray to talk to him, some guy talk or something. I'm not sure what to make of it honestly. It's just weird that they're not fighting as often," Lucy said, before taking a look at the two wizards. "Well, Natsu is a dragon slayer, and as one he mentioned something about mates and bonds when he first joined. Though, he's never shown an interest in anyone romantically. Perhaps he found his mate?" Mira simply asked, shrugging her shoulders a bit. Lucy tapped her chin, before looking at the two boys again.

"You don't think-" Lucy started. "Oh, but I do," Mira said, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Mira-nee, what are you plotting over here?" Lisanna asked as she walked over to her older sister. "Oh, nothing Lisanna...just thinking of helping Natsu with his love life," Mira said, the glint getting brighter. Lisanna shook her head. "Mira-nee, are you sure you should interfere? I mean, you mean well and all..." Lisanna started, but Mira gave her an evil look, causing her to squeak. "N-nevermind, I'll butt out!" she then scampered away from her sister and to the other side of the bar, where she'd begin chatting with one of the members who wanted a bite to eat as well as a drink which she was happy to serve them.

"Gray, your clothes!" Mira called out. "What!?" Gray looked at himself. "Damn, how does this keep happening?!" He exclaimed, much to his embarrassment, Natsu laughed. "It's not funny!" Gray exclaimed once again. "S-sorry! It's just-" Natsu began saying, before his face went red, he shut his mouth and ran out of the guild as fast as he could. "Natsu!" Gray called out, confused as to why the dragon slayer would turn so red then run away. He looked around the guild, confusion evident on his face.

"Fwaaa! Oh my god, that was soo cute!" Mira exclaimed softly. Lucy looked at her confused. "Did I miss something?" she asked Mira. "Natsu grew flustered seeing Gray in his boxers, then he ran off," Mira said. Lucy blinked. "N-Natsu..and G-Gray?!" She exclaimed softly, but Gray heard her. "I know...fire and ice. Hot right?" Mira said, a semi-perverted look on her face now. Gray blinked. "What about Natsu and I?" Gray asked the girls, causing them to jump and giggle a bit. Lucy would turn to face him with a strange look on her face.

"Nothing Gray!" Mira said with a giggle. "You should probably go check on him though. You're the only one who knows where he goes when he gets like that," Mira said. Erza was too busy eating her cake to hear the conversation going on, or she'd probably have joined in the shipping train with Mira and Lucy. "Yeah, Mira is right. You should go make sure he's okay," Lucy said.

Gray simply nodded. "Alright, I'll go after the flame head and see if he's okay," he said, trying to act like he didn't want to go after him when in all reality he did which is what scared him. He managed to find his shirt and pants, and then he took off to where he knew Natsu went. He jogged there, and he knew Natsu would smell him before he got close. "What do you want ice block, did you come to make fun of me?" Natsu asked, the tone making Gray flinch inwardly.

"No. I'm here to see if you're okay. You left so quickly, everyone was concerned," Gray said. Natsu huffed and turned away from Gray, for some reason he didn't want the other male to see his face. "I-I'm fine, you can go back to the others now Gray," Natsu said. "Natsu.." Gray said, placing his hand on Natsu's shoulder. "D-Don't!" Natsu yelled. That surprised Gray, causing the ice wizard to take a step back. Natsu was letting off a high amount of heat. "Sorry, but I don't think you're really okay. Do you want to talk about it?" Gray asked. "No! No I don't especially not with you! It's your fault!" Natsu yelled. "Why did it have to be you!?" Natsu was almost crying now, but not from sadness, the look on his face showed fear and apprehension. Just what was Natsu hiding?

"Why..." Gray said. "What did I do Natsu? I need to know, so I can fix it," Gray said, and then suddenly he hugged Natsu, causing the dragon slayer to flinch slightly, but he didn't try to pull away from his best friends hug. "I'm sorry Gray, it's not your fault..it's mine," Natsu said, simply letting his tears flow. Gray hadn't seen Natsu cry since the anniversary of the day Igneel left, and Natsu didn't know Gray knew, because it was raining, and Natsu can't smell people in the rain. "Let me help you Natsu, I'm your friend, your best friend. You can talk to me about anything, you can confide in me anything," Gray said. "I'm willing to listen to you. Anything you have to say," Gray said, letting go of Natsu as the other still sniffled but it wasn't as intense.

"I-I know Gray...but I can't...I can't... _you'd hate me..."_ Natsu said the last part softly, but Gray heard it. "Natsu, nothing you could say could make me hate you. We've been friends for years, as well as rivals, and now teammates," Gray said. Natsu shook his head, Gray could tell that the dragon slayer was fighting with himself about something, but he couldn't figure out why. "Gray, if you liked someone, would you tell them, or keep it to yourself?" Natsu asked, still keeping his back against Grays' chest even after the ice wizard stopped hugging him. "It would depend, if I felt that a confession would screw up the friendship I had with that person I might not," Gray admitted.

"That's my problem Gray, I can't lose y-them. I couldn't...I can't think about it," Natsu said, his voice edged with sadness and worry. Gray nodded. "I understand that all too well Natsu," he admitted, he managed to sit them down, with Natsu next to him. "So, what girl has you all messed up like that Gray?" Natsu asked, his normal personality coming to the surface once more. Gray laughed and shook his head. "Who says it's a girl who has me all messed up?" he asked. "It's a guy?" Natsu asked, tilting his head to the side a bit. _'Cute!'_ Gray thought while chuckling. He didn't give Natsu an answer right away, which seemed to make the dragon slayer twitch ever so slightly.

"Yeah, what about you. Is it Lisanna or Lucy?" he asked Natsu. "N-no...mines a guy too," Natsu admitted softly. Gray's heart began beating faster for some reason. Natsu heard it. "Why are you nervous Gray?" he asked. "I'm not Natsu, what gives you that idea?" Gray asked. "Your heart is beating really fast, that's a sign of nervousness. Do I make you nervous?" Natsu asked seriously. Gray blinked, his eyes wide. "Y-you make me nervous? No!" Gray answered quickly. "I mean, you piss me off, but you don't make me nervous," he said. "Okay..." Natsu said, he kept the hurt hidden as well as he could. One thing people could say without a doubt about Natsu was that he wore his heart on his sleeve, but would he still do so if he was hurt? The two would stay in silence for a few moments as the sun began to descend along the horizon.

The sun began to set over the water. "Wow, I've never watched the sunset from here before," Gray admitted. "It's beautiful," he finished. "Well, I'm going to head back to the guild. Race you there?" Natsu grinned. "Oh, you're on!" Gray said, jumping up. "On the count of three!" Natsu said. "One!" "Two!" "Three! See you there ice block!" Natsu called out, before taking off like a rocket, Gray hot on his heels. "Hey! No fair flame breath!" Gray called out as he took off after Natsu, both of the boys laughing as if they'd not just had a rather deep heart to heart regarding love.

The two arrived at the guild at about the same time, both laughing and panting. They walked into the guild, which fell silent upon their arrival. "Thanks for talking to me again Gray," Natsu said to Gray. "Any time Natsu, just find me if you ever need to seriously talk," Gray said. "Okay," Natsu said, before smiling and walking off. "They liiiiiiiike each other!" Happy is heard exclaiming. "No, we don't!" Natsu and Gray yell at the same time, which caused the guild to begin laughing uproariously.

Natsu and Happy head home a few hours later. "We'll go fishing tomorrow buddy, let's go home," Natsu said. "Yay fishies!" Happy exclaimed excitedly. "Natsu liiiiikes Gray!" Happy singsonged, much to Natsu's annoyance. "No I don't, please stop it Happy!" Natsu said with mild annoyance evident in his voice. "But you do! I can see it, and so can Erza!" Happy said. Natsu's face turned red.

"That's a lie because I don't like Gray like that, he's my best friend and rival!" Natsu said. "Denial isn't just a river, Natsu," Happy said, causing Natsu to huff and pout. "I'm going to bed, good night Happy," Natsu said, before stalking off to his room, where he flopped onto his bed still dressed, he managed to fall into a deep sleep, where he dreamed of chilly touches, as well as a scent of mint, cigarettes, and snow.

"Mmm..." Natsu moaned in his sleep. Happy giggled before joining Natsu in sleep. Erza grinned as she began to plot a way to get Gray and Natsu to hook up, they had a few weeks off, it was the perfect time to do it. All she needed to do was get Lucy, Loke, and Mira in on it. They'd all be willing to help, she just knew it...and if they weren't there was always the threat tactic. She closed her eyes and fell to sleep, a grin on her face. Her mind full of plans for the following weeks. Gay was in his bed, trying to fall asleep when he suddenly felt what he would likely describe as his doom. A chill ran up his spine, and his body became entirely covered in goosebumps. Eventually, he fell asleep, dreaming of chocolate, cinnamon, and cinders. "Natsuu..." he mumbled into his pillow in his sleep.

Natsu and Happy woke up early in the morning and grabbed their fishing supplies. "Ready for a great day of fishing and relaxing Happy!?" Natsu asked, the excitement clear in his voice. "Aye siiiir!" Happy said. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Natsu grinned as they headed out to the river near their house. "Yay fishies!" Happy sang. "Little fishie, big fishie, fishie, fishie!" Natsu chuckled a bit, shaking his head, but Happy was enjoying himself, as was he. Though his dream had him thinking of things other than fishing. The scent he'd smelt in his dream was Gray's, and he knew that, but there was no way he could admit it, he couldn't risk destroying their friendship, so he'd simply keep the feelings to himself.

After a few hours, Happy and Natsu had caught a lot of fish. Happy's stomach growled. "Shall we eat some now Happy?" Natsu asked. "Aye!" Happy said. "Alright, dig in!" Natsu said, he used his flames to cook his fish for himself, and Happy simply ate them raw, he was a cat after all. "Y'know Natsu we should go to the guild later," Happy said. Natsu nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, everyone will probably get worried if we don't make an appearance," Natsu said, after swallowing a large mouthful of fish. Once they were done eating, Natsu jumped up. "Let's go, buddy," he said, smiling at Happy. "Aye, sir!" Happy said, popping his wings on before flying behind Natsu as they went to the guild. _'I don't know what I can do about what my body is doing in response to Grays scent, but I'll do what I have to, to make sure we stay friends. I won't let myself ruin that.'_ Natsu thought to himself, all while Happy was trying to find a way to get the two boys to see what they felt for one another.

"Mira, Loke, Lucy, I need to talk to you three," Erza said, with her authoritative voice, causing the three to flinch slightly. "Let's go to the library, no one will bother us there," Mira said. "Sounds good, and none of you are in trouble," Erza said. "Just clearing that up, I need your help. All of you," she finished. "I can understand needing Lucy and Mira, but why me?" Loke asked. "You'll see," Erza said, a grin on her face. Something about the face Erza was making made the other three uncomfortable. They arrived at the library and shut the door. "Okay, this is what I need your help with," Erza began. "Natsu and Gray have feelings for one another, and I want to find a way to help hook them up," she finishes. "Wait, wait," Loke says. "I can understand needing Lucy and Mira for this, but why me?" he asked.

Erza looked at him. "Simple, you've been friends with Gray for years, you two used to be a team. I want you to help us, by possibly triggering Natsu's jealousy. He's a dragon slayer, the jealousy thing he spoke about before, it's triggered when someone gets close to his mate, or his chosen. The marks haven't appeared yet, but that's probably because neither of them realizes the other feels the same," Erza said. "Well, it could also be because they haven't done anything yet either," Mira pointed out. "True Erza. Mira has a good point there," Lucy said. "I'd still like to know what I'm supposed to do," Loke says, somewhat confused.

"Simple, hit on Gray and Natsu," Erza said. "B-both of them?!" Loke exclaimed. "Aw man, they're both going to kick my ass," he mumbled. Lucy giggled. "Who knows...they might let you join sometime," she said, her face had a perverted look on it. "That'd be so hot!" she finished. "You guys are crazy!" Loke said. "You're the only one I can think of helping with that Loke, you've got a charming personlaity with both men and women. Plus you're the correct gender, I don't think a woman would trigger them as easily as another male would," Erza explained.

"Oh, I guess I see how that would work, I can't guarantee it's going to work given how stubborn those two are, but I'll do what I can I guess," Loke said. "Good, Mira you're good at helping too. I know you can be relied on, as for you Lucy, I want you to write what you see them doing. Any hug or anything I want it documented. Do you guys understand?" Erza asked. "Yes ma'am," Lucy and Mira said. "Yeah, when should we start?" Loke asked. "Loke, you need to start as soon as possible," Erza said. "We need to see how they react to someone getting close to them, uncomfortably so if need be," Erza grinned, her eyes sparkling much like Mira's had the night before. If Erza wasn't scary already, the look on her face would strike fear into many peoples hearts.

"I have a weird feeling in my stomach Happy," Natsu said as they neared the guild. "Oh? Is it good or bad?" Happy asked. "I'm not sure... it just feels weird," Natsu responds. Gray was already inside the guild. "Oh, Gray-sama! Juvia missed you!" Juvia exclaimed as she tried to hug the ice wizard, Gray simply sidestepped and Juvia tripped but didn't fall. "Oh, Gray-sama!" Juvia cried out.

"It's good to see you Juvia, but you need to stop clinging to me. I'm your friend, we're Nakama, but I'm not interested in you in the way you want," Gray said. "I've told you that a lot," he finished. He wasn't being harsh or anything, his voice was its normal level. "Juvia knows, but Juvia loves Gray-sama, and Juvia thinks Gray-sama is just hiding his like for her!" Juvia said. The woman was hard headed when it came to Gray, as well as severely obsessed, she stalked him, and had an entire room full of dolls, pillows, towels, blankets and only God knows what else with his face or likeness. Gray sighed and sat at the table his team always sat at.

Juvia, of course, sat at a table across the room, but where she could still see Gray fully. Natsu and Happy made their way into the guild and went to their table. "Yo Popsicle!" Natsu called out. "Shut up flame breath!" Gray yelled back. "You wanna go?!" Natsu challenged. "Bring it!" Gray said, standing up and advancing on Natsu, the two then started to fight, without magic. Erza, Mira, Loke, and Lucy all walked back into the main room when Erza saw the two fighting she spoke up. "I do hope you two aren't fighting!"

Gray and Natsu stopped fighting and wrapped an arm around one another shoulders. "O-of course not Erza! Just giving one another manly greetings!" Gray said. "Aye!" Natsu said, causing Lucy to shake her head. Gray and Natsu, of course, started glaring at one another when Erza wasn't looking, then went back to being all friendly when she was. "I was thinking we could all go on a little vacation," Erza said, which caused the boys to stop jumping around. "To where?" Gray asked. "I was thinking of going to that casino we went to before, and not having anything weird happen to us this time. A few other guild members would be coming along as well," Erza said.

"That could be fun," Natsu said. "I mean, before the whole thing that happened, we had a decent amount of fun there," he finished with a shrug of his shoulders. "Yeah, it would be a nice change of scenery," Gray agreed. "Well, it's settled then! I'll get all our tickets, Loke, Mira you're coming with us," Erza said, a smirk coming across her face. "We'll get two large rooms this time. Rather than two small ones, that way all of us have room to sleep," Erza said.

Everyone else simply nodded. "The guild will be fine with me Mira-nee. I'll take good care of it," Lisanna said, smiling that her sister was getting to go on a vacation. "Go home and pack, we're going to head there today. Meet at the train station by three," Erza said, and after that, everyone headed home to pack for their vacation. "Woo vacation!" Natsu was probably too happy, but he didn't care. They were going on a vacation! A well deserved one of course.

"Come on Happy! Let's go pack!" he said. "Aye, sir!" Happy said, before picking Natsu up and flying home so they could pack. Lucy laughed a bit. "Natsu seems to be really happy about this vacation," she said. "I can't really blame him, Lucy, everyone has been working hard," Mira said, smiling. She knew how many jobs the team had gone on, she knew they deserved this as much as anyone else, if not more. She knew why Loke and herself were coming along, because 'Operation Gratsu' was going to be put into effect there, and they probably had a lot of work ahead of them with how stubborn both boys were.

Natsu and Happy were actually the first two to arrive at the train station, Gray was the next. "Oh, hi ice block," Natsu said, Gray merely grunted. Mira showed up next. "Hi, you guys!" She was really cheerful, a bright smile on her face. Loke arrived around the same time as Lucy, then there was Erza, and her massive amount of luggage. "I'm glad everyone made it here on time," Erza said, smiling at everyone. "We're going to have fun on this vacation, we've all worked very hard the past few months, and I feel this is something we've all earned," she finished. "Hell yeah, we did!" Natsu grinned.

Gray nodded in agreement and laughed a bit. "Yeah, we have worked really hard, and we've not done too much destruction," Gray said, causing Lucy to laugh and Mira to shake her head. Loke simply stood there he knew why he was invited, and he knew he'd be sharing a room with Natsu and Gray. The vacation was going to be interesting if nothing else, he knew that for sure. He just hoped he was able to do his part in the 'Operation Gratsu' so Erza wouldn't pummel him. The thought of Erza pummeling him made him automatically think of his face. "What seems to be wrong Loke? You look like you've seen a ghost," Lucy said, looking at him.

"It's nothing, just thought of something dangerous is all," Loke said, chuckling and rubbing the back of his head like Natsu did a lot. Lucy shook her head and let out a soft giggle at him. **"Call one for the resort and casino, boarding begins now, the train will depart in fifteen minutes. Please board and be seated."** The intercom goes off. "That's us," Erza smiles. Natsu and Happy board the train, Gray watches Natsu's backside as he boards, he gets on behind him, followed by Loke, then Lucy and finally Erza, who had to help the luggage loaders load her luggage, why she needed so much was beyond anything anyone knew.

"Gray, I need you to do the thing you did to help Natsu last time we were on the train," Erza said. "Ugh...fine. Flamebreath, lay your head on my lap, it seemed to help last time," Gray grumbled, seemingly unhappy outside, but inside he was cheering and dancing about being able to be close to Natsu, by this time he had no problem with the thought of being with Natsu. Inside his own head Natsu was celebrating and dancing around as well, he was going to be close to his mate. Of course, outwardly he acted as unhappy as Gray did.

"Fine..." Natsu said. He laid on the seat and placed his head on Gray's lap, the chill emanating from the other wizard was comforting, plus there was his scent, the scent Natsu dreamed about the last few nights. While Natsu closed his eyes and breathed in Gray's scent, Gray smelt Natsu's scent. A small smiled wormed its way onto Gray's face as the train started moving. The two areas the Fairy Tail Wizards took up were split in two. Males on one side, females on the other. That meant Loke was in the same part of the train as Gray and Natsu, and he saw the smile go across Gray's face. Happy sat next to Loke. Gray's scent managed to lull Natsu into sleep. Happy giggles. "They liiiiiike each other," he said. "I think you're looking too deep into their friendship, Happy. Plus, they constantly bicker." Loke said.

The train ride was pretty uneventful, aside from Erza manhandling a would-be thief, and gaining the entire trains gratitude by tying the man up and letting the authorities deal with him, all without doing any damage to the train. Natsu even stayed asleep. As the train arrived at the resort Loke spoke up. "Here, let me carry him, you get the bags," he told Gray. Gray simply nodded, he knew he couldn't act jealous, he and Natsu weren't a thing. "Thanks, he's friggin heavy," Gray said, chuckling.

Natsu stayed asleep, he snuggled into Loke's arms, which caused Gray to growl inadvertently. "Problem Gray?" Lucy asked. "No! Something was just stuck in my throat is all," Gray asked. "I'm also just mad that flame breath drooled on my lap," he said, making up a lie. Loke shook his head and kept walking, as did Lucy and the others. Mira giggled next to Erza. "Grays acting possessive, it's kind of cute," she said. "I agree, I really hope this works. Loke is already doing a good job," Erza said, grinning. Mira nodded in agreement.

"Oh, we all know what Loke is capable of doing," Mira laughed. Loke kept carrying Natsu as they entered the hotel. "Reservation for Scarlet, Erza," Erza said. "Two large rooms. Here are your keys ma'am," the worker said, handing Erza the two room keys. "Your rooms are on the third floor, the elevator is right over there," he finished. "Thank you," Erza said. She handed Gray the key to the boys' room. "I don't want you three to destroy anything in that room, you hear me?" she growled softly. "Loud and clear," Gray and Loke said, Natsu was still asleep. "Aye, sir!" Happy said. "I know that's what Natsu would say," he finished, nodding his little blue head.

The six people, and exceed made their way to their rooms. "Once Natsu wakes up we'll go to the casino or something for some fun," Erza said. "Okay," everyone said in agreement. Gray would open the door and hold it open for Loke who walked in carrying Natsu, followed by Happy, and then finally Gray. The girls all pretty much walked in at once, but Erza had to have help with her massive amount of luggage once again. "Which bed do you want Gray?" Loke asked. "Let's wait until Natsu wakes up to choose beds," he said. "I'd rather not have him kick either of us off the bed he wants," he says quickly so as to not arouse suspicion, little did he know Loke, Erza, Mira, Happy and Lucy were all trying to get him and Natsu together on this trip. Come hell or high water, it was going to happen. Whether or not the boys liked it.

About ten minutes later Natsu woke up. "Mmmn..." he said, sitting up from where he was laid down, which was one of the beds, and he sat up and rubbed his eyes while yawning and stretching. "Oh...we're there?" he asked. "Sorry I slept the whole time..." he grinned sheepishly. "Oh it's alright Natsu, you're actually pretty light for someone as toned as you are," Loke all but purred out, he was clearly hitting on Natsu. "U-um...thank you, Loke," Natsu said, smiling with flushed cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck.

 _'Wait...is Loke the one who is Natsus' mate?'_ Gray thought to himself, and he immediately deflated. _'Well...if Natsu is happy, I'll be happy for him.'_ Loke could see the look on Grays' face, and in his eyes, so he knew his 'charming Natsu' was successful. "Shall we go get the girls so we can get this vacation started?" Loke asked. "We should go to the beach!" Natsu said while bouncing on the bed. Loke chuckled at how cute Natsu was acting, and Gray simply watched him. "Sounds good to me," Loke said, thinking about seeing everyone in their bathing suits.

"I'll go tell the girls," Gray said, before standing up and walking out of the room. Natsu watched Gray, a slight look of sadness on his face, but it went away quickly. "I'm going to get changed then," Natsu said, before looking around and spotting his bag. He rummaged through it and pulled out his swim trunks then went into the bathroom to get changed. His trunks were black with flame son them, so totally Natsu.

About ten minutes later, Loke, Gray, Natsu, and Happy were in the hall, waiting for the girls. The first to emerge was Mira, she wore the same bikini she wore in Sorcerer Weekly Magazine. Erza came out wearing a dark blue string bikini, and Lucy wore a pink bikini. "This will be fun!" Natsu cheered. "Aye, sir!" Happy said while flying around in the air. "I can't wait to get some rays," Loke said. "Plus the views are going to be so nice," he grinned, looking at all the people with him. Gray grumbled and walked faster. Natsu frowned a bit at Gray's reaction but smiled quickly. The group arrived at the beach, and of course, Natsu made a beeline for the water. He laughed and splashed around with Happy.

Loke waded into the water and splashed Natsu, who splashed him back, soon enough there was an all-out water war going on between the two, which caused Happy to fly away, the poor cat was soaked. "I need a break, those two are crazy!" Happy said, before plopping down on one of the towels they'd brought with them to dry off. Erza looked over at Gray, he looked livid. "Gray, you should join them, it might be fun," she said. "No thanks, I'd rather not be a third wheel," he spat out."Oh come now, they're just having fun!" Mira said.

Gray grumbled some more, but stopped abruptly as Erza picked him up and threw him at Loke and Natsu. "ERZAAAA!" Gray screamed as he flew. He hit a rather solid body and sunk into the water, the body happened to be Natsu. "You okay Gray?" Natsu asked. "Y-yeah, I'm fine." Gray said. "You should join the splash war with us Gray," Loke said. "You look really good all wet like that," he finished. Natsu splashed Loke with water, with a growl. Gray shuddered, that growl. Loke splashed Natsu back, in turn he also splashed Gray. Gray then launched a splash at Loke, soon enough all three of the boys were having an all out splash war. "They look like they're having fun out there," Lucy said. "Aye," Happy said. "Loke is working his charm on them both I bet," Mira said, with a giggle. "Good, that means the operation has begun," Erza said, a smirk crossing her face.

The boys eventually emerged from the water, panting and soaking wet. All of them had slightly flushed faces with grins on them. "Nice timing boys, we were thinking of going and getting something to eat," Lucy said, leaning down a bit to show off her cleavage. "Lucy, what are you doing?" Natsu asked. "That can't feel good..." he said with a laugh. Lucy blushed and straightened herself, apparently, her feminine charm couldn't work on Natsu, that was good to know. "Shall we then?" Erza asked as she stood and walked towards the resort/casino. "Yes, food!" Natsu cheered, causing a few of his friends to laugh. Natsu ran a bit ahead of the group and waved at them from the doors. "You know Natsu is pretty cute," Loke said to Gray, who simply grumbled. "You're hot though Gray," he said. Gray raised an eyebrow at Loke.

"What are you playing at Loke?" Gray asked, a bit of anger in his voice. "Nothing at all Gray, I don't know what you mean," Loke grinned, playing it cool. "Natsu isn't the type to jump into the sack with someone with just sweet words," Gray growled. "Oh really Gray, is that jealousy I'm hearing? You mad he's paying attention to me and not you?" Loke teased, trying to get Gray to admit something, anything. "Y-You know what? Maybe I am!" Gray exclaimed, before storming past the group. Natsu blinked as Gray stormed past him. "Gray...?" Natsu said. "Leave me alone Natsu, Loke wants you," Gray growled, as the temperature in the air dropped a few degrees.

"What?" Natsu asked, confusion clear on his face, but the ice wizard was too far away to hear him. Erza turned to Loke and gave him the thumbs up. Loke grinned a bit. "Don't let his sour mood ruin the start of the vacation, Natsu," Loke said as he stopped next to the sakura haired male. "I don't like seeing him like that," Natsu said softly, a frown on his face. "Should I go after him?" he asked. "It might be better to let him cool down," Mira said. Loke snorted. "He's an ice wizard, he's the definition of 'cool' Mira," Loke said.

"Anyway, let's get food. I'm sure he'll come to join us sooner or later," Erza said. "Yeah, let's let him let off his steam. He's so upset that he'd make our food freeze before we could eat it," Lucy said. Natsu simply nodded numbly as he was led to the dining area, and sat down. After a few minutes, they were brought a few baskets of various types of bread. "Mmm! Food!" Natsu said as he grabbed a piece and began eating it. Mira giggled, and Lucy shook her head.

The waiter arrived and asked them if they were ready to order. "No, we're waiting on one other companion to join us, then we'll be ready," Erza said. "He should be down soon," she finished. "Alright, take your time," the man said, before walking to the next table. "I'll go find Gray," Lucy said. "Okay, be careful," Mira said. "It might be better if Natsu goes actually. If Gray lashes out, Natsu can easily guard himself," Erza said, which made Loke nod. "Yeah, she's right. Natsu why don't you go find Gray?" Loke asked.

Natsu nodded and stood up. "Alright, I'll bring him down here to dinner, even if I have to drag the stripper down here," he said, before heading upstairs. "Loke, good job triggering Grays jealousy," Erza said, a smirk on her face. Loke chuckled. "What can I say, I'm good at being bad," he grinned. Natsu opened the door to the room, it was chilly inside so he knew Gray was there. "Gray, join us for dinner," he said as he walked into the room. "Go away Natsu," Gray said, his voice low and dangerous. "Not until you come with me, you stubborn stripper," Natsu said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Go back to your mate Natsu," Gray spat out. Natsu's eyes widened. "M-my mate?" he asked. "Yes, go back to Loke," Gray said with a growl. "Um...Gray, Loke isn't my mate," he said, he took a tentative step towards the ice wizard. "If he isn't your mate, why the hell are you flirting with him?" Gray asked. "I wasn't," Natsu said, he really wasn't. "I was just responding to him, I wasn't flirting with him. Besides... _it's you who is my mate,_ " Natsu said, the last part was all but silent. "Besides what Natsu?" Gray growled out. "Loke isn't my mate Gray," Natsu said as he stood in front of the ice wizard, seemingly not affected by the other males extremely cold temperature. "H-He's not?" Gray asked a flash of hope in his eyes.

"No, he's not...I'm too scared to approach who I think is my mate..." Natsu admitted. "You shouldn't be scared Natsu, anyone would be lucky to have you," Gray said. "That's the problem, I don't want to ruin what I have with him Gray," Natsu said, before sitting next to Gray, despite his natural heat his teeth were chattering, Gray was putting out some really cold temperatures. "They'd be stupid to reject you," Gray said, as he looked at Natsu. Natsu's heart fluttered, his body heating up a bit to keep himself from getting frostbite from Gray. Natsu suddenly looked down. "Gray, what if it's _you_?" Natsu asked, which caused Gray to inhale out of surprise. Gray just stared at Natsu for a minute, which was long enough for Natsu to stand up. "I'm going to head back to the group, join us for dinner please," Natsu said, his eyes had dimmed due to Gray's silence, and Natsu turned to begin walking away. By the time Gray had realized his mistake, Natsu was already nearly out of the room.

* * *

**To be continued! I hope you're all still enjoying this rewrite as much as I am enjoying editing it.  
**


	4. Of Amusement Parks and Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the sun setting over the ocean and the rays dancing in Gray's eyes he and Natsu finally kiss for the first-and second time! the next day the group decide to enjoy the amusement park, Mira giving Natsu a medication she hoped would work for him so he could enjoy himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to update this as often as I can, the sheer amount of editing and correcting I've been doing is rather exhausting, but it's worth it to me!

**,Recap:** **_"Gray_** **,** _ **what if it's you?" Natsu asked, which caused Gray to inhale out of surprise. Gray just stared at Natsu for a minute, which was long enough for Natsu to stand up. "I'm going to head back to the group, join us for dinner please," Natsu said, his eyes had dimmed due to Grays silence, and Natsu turned to begin walking away. By the time Gray had realized his mistake, Natsu was already nearly out of the room.  
**_

* * *

Acting on sheer impulse, Gray grabbed hold of Natsu's arm and pulled the slightly shorter male back, almost causing him to fall, which caused Natsu to yelp. "Gray!" Natsu cried out as he was tugged back. "Did you mean that?" Gray asked the temperature started rising back to normal slowly. "D-did I mean what?" Natsu asked, his face turning red, but with how cold it was Gray likely chalked it up to the current temperature. "About me possibly being your mate. Did you mean it?" Gray asked as he swallowed thickly.

"Y-yeah..." Natsu said, before biting his bottom lip. Gray cheered inside his head. _'Natsu said it might be me!'_ "I would accept it," Gray said. Natsu squirmed a bit in Gray's grasp as he worried his bottom lip, causing Gray to groan. "Stop that," he said lowly, his eyes darkening a bit. "S-stop what?" Natsu asked. "Biting your lip, that's...too cute," Gray said. Natsu growled. "I am not cute!" Gray chuckled. "I think you are," he admitted. Natsu's face grew a slightly deeper shade of red. Natsu opened his mouth to protest, but Gray spun him around and pulled him close. "Tell me Natsu...who is your mate?" he asked, looking into Natsu's eyes, which caused Natsu to squirm a bit.

Natsu bit his lower lip again while his face heated up slightly. "W-Who...u-um.." Natsu began. "M-My mate...my...mate..." he gulped as he looked up into Gray's eyes. "MymateisyouGray!" he blurted out, before managing to get out of the ice wizards grasp, he'd bolt to the door, leaving a stunned Gray in the room. _'He...said it's me! I'm his mate!'_ Gray thought to himself. It took Gray a moment to realize Natsu wasn't there in the room with him anymore, and without thinking, he'd dash out of the room after Natsu.

"Crap! Natsu!" Gray called out as he ran from the room. He headed downstairs to look for the dragon slayer. He managed to find the table. "Where's Natsu?" Erza asked. "I was hoping he came here," Gray said. "I'll find him," he said, Gray had a huge smile on his face as he spoke. "What are you so happy for Gray?" Lucy asked. "I'll tell you later, right now I need to find him!" Gray said before he took off to the beach. Hoping to find Natsu there. Lucy blinked at how fast Gray bolted from the room. "I wonder what happened..." she said. "I bet Natsu admitted his feelings." Happy giggled. "They liiiiiiiike each other!" he finished, causing the rest of the group to laugh.

Natsu was on the beach standing and staring at the waves as they lapped at his toes, his face was downcast. The sun was setting over the water, and it was a beautiful scene. Bittersweet thoughts filled Natsu's head as he sighed. "There you are!" Gray said while panting slightly. He rested his hands on his knees for a moment before he looked up at Natsu. "Natsu?" He said. "I-I'm sorry for saying something Gray, I knew...I knew I should have stayed quiet about it," Natsu sniffled a bit, he wasn't crying just yet but the sound of sadness in his voice made Gray's heart hurt, just from the sheer realization that Natsu was hurting because of him. His inaction caused the normally loud, proud and powerful Dragon Slayer to be like this. Gray would hug Natsu from behind. "You didn't do anything wrong Natsu. I did. I was silent. What you said surprised me is all," he said, before turning Natsu to face him. "I never expected to find out that I was your mate all this time,"

Gray had a big smile on his face, and as Natsu looked at him in the light of the setting sun, he couldn't help but see how handsome Gray really was. He sniffled. "S-Stupid ice block," he said with a pout. Gray tilted Natsu's head up using two fingers. Natsu looked into Gray's eyes, the rays of the setting sun illuminated their silhouettes, as Gray embraced Natsu the distance between them slowly growing smaller and smaller.

"G-Gray...what are you doing?" Natsu asked. Gray leaned down, closing the last bit of distance between them. "Kissing you," Gray said simply before pressing his lips against those of Natsu. It was a simple kiss, but the electricity that shot through the two of them they both felt it was right. Natsu groaned softly. The kiss was chaste but it still meant a hell of a lot to Natsu, and as Gray went to pull back Natsu would pull him in for another slightly more demanding kiss. "Th-thank you Gray," Natsu said, smiling. "We should get back to the others," Gray said. "Yeah..." Natsu said. "Should we say anything?" he asked. "Do you want to?" Gray asked. "Maybe...in a little bit? Perhaps after the vacation is over?" Natsu asked. Gray nodded and laced his fingers with Natsu's. "Sounds good to me. Let's go eat," he said, the smile never leaving his face. Of course, neither of them noticed Happy with a camera. He'd captured their first kiss! He'd quickly stick the camera back into his backpack and fly back to the others before he was caught.

Gray and Natsu walked back to the table and sat down before they entered the dining room, they'd stopped holding hands. "Sorry, I just wanted some fresh air," Natsu lied. Erza and the others were already told by Happy that he spotted the two kissing. "Alright, next time let someone know Natsu. You worried us," Erza said. "Sorry Erza, it's just the ice block had the room so cold I had to warm up using the sun!" Natsu laughed. Erza looked at Gray.

"What were you so mad about anyway Gray?" Lucy asked. "It was nothing," Gray said. "I just heard someone say something I didn't like, and it made me mad is all. Sorry for worrying you all," Gray said. The group all knew the truth, but they'd let the two have their secret. They would all order their food and eat once it arrived. Everyone got steak, nice thick cuts, cooked to perfection. The sides were salads, soups and various potatoes. Happy of course got fish, though he did sneak a piece of Natsu's steak. "Mmm, this is really good!" Natsu said. "Natsu, you think everything is really good," Lucy said. "That's not true, those worm things were really gross," Natsu said. Lucy blinked, "Oh those worms..yeah they really were," she cringed at the memory.

After dinner and dessert which was a molten chocolate cake, much to everyone's surprise, the group headed to their respective rooms. "I'm going to take a shower, don't miss me too much," Loke said, with a wink at Gray and Natsu, but neither of them reacted. "Have fun, Loke," Natsu said. He began looking for a pair of clean boxers to wear for after he took a shower once Loke got out. As soon as  Loke was out of the room, Natsu looked at Gray.

"Is this okay?" he asked. "Is what okay?" Gray asked. "Keeping us a secret?" Natsu asked. "Well, we're not official yet. I figured we'd wait until right before we leave and I'd ask you out officially, in front of Erza and the others, what do you think of that?" Gray asked. "Well...I like that idea. I like it a lot." Natsu said, a blush on his face as well as a grin. Gray rubbed his thumb over Natsu's bottom lip. "Can I kiss you?" Gray asked. Natsu nodded. "Yeah...I'd like that." Natsu responded. Gray leaned over and gently pressed his lips to Natsu's, eliciting a cute noise from the Dragon Slayer. The kiss was soft and quick, but the emotions they shared made it enough for them, they weren't going to rush into anything sexual, and they certainly weren't going to say any deep words just yet. Those would come later, as would the whole bonding thing that Dragon Slayers did with their mates should they be accepted by them.

A few minutes later Loke emerged from the shower, his hair was still a bit wet, and there was water running down his chest into his boxers, but by the time he came out, Natsu was on the middle bed, flipping tv channels and Gray was reading a book. It was like nothing had happened. "Alright, whichever of you wants to go next can do so. I'm done in there." Loke said, before sitting on the bed closest to the window. It had a great view if nothing else. Natsu shut the tv off. "Alright, be out in a few. No going to the bathroom while I'm showering, got it you two perverts?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah," Loke said. "No peeking at your cute butt. I get it." he finished. Gray simply glared at Loke but shook his head. "I wouldn't want to see you naked anyway flame breath," He said, Natsu laughed and went into the bathroom. He took a scalding shower, the hotness always relaxed and invigorated him. He had found his mate, and had been accepted by them he was very happy, but they weren't going to come out to their friends just yet. Oh, he couldn't wait! He washed his hair with his cinnamon shampoo, and washed his body before he got out. He used his flames to dry off, then slipped into his boxers.

Natsu has folded his clothes as well as his scarf and carried them into the room, steam escaping the bathroom as he exited. "Alright ice block, the bathroom is all yours," Natsu said, before placing his nicely folded clothes onto the table next to his bed. He'd then made down the bed and slipped under the covers with a soft sigh. Loke had simply flopped onto his bed and was snoring softly already. Gray shook his head at Loke and smiled at Natsu who blushed and tried to hide under the blanket on his bed. "I'll be out soon, no peeking at me either you two," Gray said with a chuckle. "We've seen you naked before already Gray!" Natsu said with a soft laugh.

Gray took an ice cold shower, he always loved them. Hot springs didn't bother him, but he preferred to take cold showers because they felt nice. He washed up with his soaps and then stepped out. He dried off with the towel, then pulled on a pair of black boxers. He stepped out into the room, only to find both Loke and Natsu had fallen asleep. He shook his head and smiled. The only light left on was the one near his bed on the far side of the room. He placed his folded clothes on his bag, then climbed into the bed and shut the light off before finally falling asleep. He smiled the whole night.

Loke was the first to rise in the morning out of the males. He shook his head at the two others in the room who were sleeping. Natsu was snoring softly, in his own bed while facing Gray. Gray was asleep facing Natsu, soft snores coming from the ice wizard as well. Loke shook his head, he had a feeling if the two were in the same bed they'd be cuddled up to one another, the operation was going smoothly. He changed out of his pajamas and headed to see if the girls were awake yet. Just as Loke was about to knock on the door to the room the girls were in, and Erza opened it.

"Good morning Loke, how are the other two doing?" She asked. Loke chuckled. "They're asleep in their respective beds, both facing the other," he said. Erza grinned. "I'm glad 'Operation Gratsu' is working so well. Do you think they'll tell us?" she asked. "Probably, but I can't be certain, they might be concerned or something," Loke said. "I mean, it's not every day a set of rival/best friends become a couple, but they're good together. I'm actually kind of jealous," he admitted. Erza chuckled a bit. "I think a lot of people will be, I mean Gray and Natsu are who we're talking about here," she said.

Loke nodded. "True, let's just hope their respective fans don't try to do anything rash if the magazine people catch wind of this," he said. Erza nodded, Mira and Lucy emerged from the room behind Erza, the four stood in the hallway. "Good morning Loke," Mira said with a smile. "Morning Mira, Lucy," Erza said. Natsu awoke and yawned, he stretched and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He slipped out of his bed and picked his clothes up off the table where he'd put them. He unfolds them and slips into them. After a few more stretches he heads into the bathroom and brushes his teeth. By the time he came out, Gray was awake and he smiled at him. Gray smiled back.

"Good morning Gray," Natsu said. "Morning Natsu," Gray said in response. "I'm going to head out and see if I can find the others, to see what the plans for today are," Natsu said. "Alright, I'll get ready and join you guys in a few minutes," Gray said. Natsu nodded before he headed out of the room. "Oh good, you guys are just right here," Natsu said with a laugh, before rubbing the back of his head with a smile. "What are the plans for today guys?" he asked.

"We were thinking of going to the amusement park here," Erza said. Natsu frowned. "I can try, I wonder if there's anything for motion sickness here," Natsu said. "Oh!" Mira exclaimed. "I forgot all about this!" she said with a soft giggle. "I found some motion sickness medicine. It might work, I mean,  I really hope it does." she finished, before pulling a package out of the pocket of her dress and handing it to Natsu.

"Thank you, Mira, I'll give it a try, hopefully, it works. I'd love to actually enjoy the rides this time rather than have to stand around while the others rode all of them," Natsu said. He looked at the package and scanned the instructions. "It says I need to eat a meal before taking one and to take it with a full cup of something to drink," he said. "Well once the Ice Prince joins us, we're going to have breakfast," Loke said with a chuckle. Natsu laughed at the nickname Gray had earned from Sorcerer Weekly when they'd had him as the 'Bachelor' of the month.

Gray emerged from the room roughly five minutes after Natsu had. "Oh good, you're all right here," Gray said. "Aye!" Happy said, suddenly popping up from behind Lucy. "Ack! Happy!" Lucy screeched. "Don't do that!" she finished, which made the exceed laugh. Natsu shook his head at Happy's antics, but he couldn't help but crack a smile. "Alright, since we're all here now, let's go eat," Erza said. Natsu walked with Happy floating near him. Gray walked ahead of the group. Erza and Lucy were chatting, and Mira smiled and waved at people who recognized her from Sorcerer Weekly.

The group sat at a table and a waitress approached them. "Good morning, what can I get you all to drink," she asked. "Just bring us some fruit juice," Erza said. "Yeah, that sounds good." most of the others agreed. "Can I get milk?" Happy asked. "Of course you can." the waitress smiled at the blue exceed. She then walked off and went to get the drinks for the group. A few minutes later she returned, she carried six glasses full of fruit juice, and one cup full of milk on a tray. She placed them down in front of everyone. "Would you like our signature scramble for breakfast?" she asked. "It has five kinds of cheese, bacon, sausage, potatoes, and eggs in it, and it's topped with a sausage gravy," she said. "Ooh, that sounds really good," Erza said. "I'll take some." she finished. "Sounds great to me," Natsu said. "I'll take some too," everyone else said. "Make mine with extra gravy please," Natsu said. The waitress smiled at the group before leaving with their order, she'd return and place the food in front of them, giving Natsu the one with extra gravy before she'd leave once more.

After eating, the group all headed out to the amusement park grounds. Natsu made sure to take two of the motion sickness pills Mira gave him. "What ride should we have Natsu test with the motion sickness medicine?" Mira asked. "Something easy, like a carousel?" Erza said. Natsu groaned. "That's such a kiddie ride though," he whined, causing his companions to laugh a bit. "It's the slowest moving ride Natsu, it will help to see if the medicine is working or not," Erza said. Natsu sighed. "Fine, but you're all riding with me," he said, causing everyone to laugh a bit. "Aye!" Happy said. So the group all boarded the carousel, if the pills worked, they would know the instant the ride started moving. As it began moving slowly and spinning, Natsu merely shrugged. "I guess they're working, I don't feel like I'm going to get sick," he said with a grin.

They remained on the ride until it stopped before they looked at the remaining rides. "Ooh, a log flume!" Lucy said, excitement clear in her voice. "Let's ride that next!" she finished, as she grabbed Natsu by the elbow and dragged him over to the ride. The rest of the group followed them, some of them laughing at Natsu being dragged along by Lucy. The group waited in line for the ride. The girls got one log, the boys got in another. Gray sat in the front, Natsu sat in the middle and Loke sat in the back. "At least I can dry us all off after this is over," Natsu muttered as the ride began moving.

The log was slowly moved upwards, the clicking making Natsu think of some of his previous battles. As they rose to the top, they all heard the girls screaming as their log dropped. "Whoa, look at this view!" Natsu said. "It's really too bad Happy couldn't ride with us." he finished. "Well he is a cat, they're not exactly fond of getting wet." Gray pointed out. "He's right, besides he's enjoying himself I'm sure," Loke said, trying to reassure Natsu. Happy was having fun, he was riding the rides he could get on. Which was everything that didn't involve water?

The boys log plummeted down into the water. Natsu held onto the handle tightly, while screaming a bit. The sudden drop made his stomach go into his throat, but when the water soaked the three of them he cheered. "Whoa! That was awesome!" he said. The log went up and dropped a few more times, and Natsu cheered, he was clearly enjoying himself. As the ride ended all six of the wizards who had ridden were all totally soaked. "Natsu, can you dry us off?" Erza asked. Natsu shrugged and flared up, drying everyone off rather quickly. "Thank you," she finished.

The rest of the day the group spent riding various roller coasters, a couple more water rides and then they finished the day off with some games. "Ooh, I'd like some cotton candy!" Natsu said, his eyes lighting up like an excited child. He patted his pockets and frowned. "Aw man,  I left my jewel in the room." he sighed and left the cotton candy stand. Gray walked over to it after Natsu had left and purchased some. He then walked over to Natsu. "Here," he said, thrusting the cotton candy into Natsu's face. "Thank you Gray," Natsu said, before taking the sweet and eating it happily, the fluffy sugar melting in his mouth.

Gray had an ice cream cone for himself, they two sat on a bench and ate the snacks. "I think I want to play that one ball throwing game," Natsu said suddenly. "Oh did you find a prize you want?" Gray asked. "Yeah, there's something I want to win for Happy," Natsu said. "It's a big stuffed fish." he laughed. Gray chuckled. "Well, what are you waiting for, go win him the fish," Gray said. He thought the idea of Natsu winning a stuffed animal for Happy painfully adorable.

Natsu smiled and got up, he walked over to the game and waited in line for the other people to pay before he got his chance. He tossed the ball hard, but not hard enough to break the bottles. He wasn't about to get himself banned from the games. After knocking the bottles over, he called Happy over and handed him the giant stuffed fish. "Thank you, Natsu! Happy said before flying around with his new stuffed fish.

Loke chuckled at Happy. "That's cute," he said. "Hey Natsu, I won this but I have no use for it, do you want it?" he asked the Dragon Slayer. "Hm?" Natsu said, turning to face Loke. The other was holding out a small dragon figure. "Oh sure, thanks Loke," he said, smiling. Gray got up and went over to another game. He was looking at the prizes, he saw something he wanted to win for Natsu.

He paid for a couple tries and managed to get the item. He pocketed it, he'd give it to Natsu later. Probably after they went home, or maybe when they decided to tell their friends they were dating. He would think about it a bit longer before deciding. The sun began to set, so the group decided to call it a day and leave. They headed back to the resort. None of them were hungry, so they headed to their respective rooms to settle down for awhile before possibly going to play in the casino for a bit.

After winding down from the fun day the group had, they decided to head to the casino for some fun. They weren't planning on using too much jewel. "If I win anything I'll give it to Natsu," Loke told Gray, Natsu was off playing a game of roulette. Only he wasn't planning on getting shot in his mouth this time. Or shot at all really. Gray went to a slot machine and decided to play a few pulls, Loke went off to try his luck at the card table, where Lucy and Erza were.

Mira was off somewhere else playing dice. Happy was off with Natsu trying to get the ball to land in the number Natsu was playing. After a few hours, everyone all met up again. They decided to eat dinner finally. The dinner for the night was fish, which of course made Happy cheer. They ordered the food, as well as drinks. Natsu got a flaming drink, Gray got a slushed drink, Loke drank a normal tea, Erza drank a red wine, Lucy drank fruity tea, and Mira drank water. Natsu scarfed down some bread with hot sauce on it before the rest of the food arrived. Everyone else also had some bread, but Natsu and Happy ate the most.

When the food finally arrived, all of the bread was gone. "I wonder what the dessert for tonight is going to be," Natsu said, his mouth partially full of food. "Natsu, swallow before you speak," Erza said, sending him a glare, which caused him to swallow what he'd been chewing. "Sorry, Erza," Natsu said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Are you all ready for dessert?" the waiter asked as he came back to the table.

"Yes, what is the dessert for tonight?" Erza asked. "It's called muddy pie. It's a rich chocolate pie, with whipped cream and chocolate sheddings on the top as well as some cinnamon." Natsu licked his lips. "Mmm, that sounds awesome!" he said. "You think everything sounds awesome flame breath," Gray said, trying to keep that up. "Shut it Popcicle," Natsu glared, causing their friends to laugh a bit. "Behave you two," Erza warned. "I doubt you want me to punish you," she grinned, causing the two to gulp. "A-Aye!" Natsu and Gray both said.

Lucy shook her head at them and laughed. A few minutes later their dessert arrived, everyone made noises of approval when they took the first bite of it. "Mmmmn!" Natsu moaned out, before stuffing his face quickly with the rest of his pie. Gray and the others shook their heads at Natsu's antics but enjoyed their pie pieces none the less. Once they all finished eating they paid for the food and left the restaurant to head to their rooms for bed. "Good night everyone," Natsu said, before entering the room. He flopped onto his back on his bed and dangled his feet off the edge.

"See you all in the morning." Gray and Loke said, then they also entered the room. "Good night." the girls all said. Happy of course joined the girls again. The boys all got ready for bed, then went to sleep. The girls were looking at the picture of Gray and Natsu's romantic sunset at the beach kiss. "Aww! That is so cuuute!" Mira squealed out. Lucy smiled. "They really are quite cute together," she said. Erza nodded. "The vacation seemed to help them see what they felt, plus Loke working his charm really sped up the process. It seems as if 'Operation Gratsu' is going to be a success!" she grinned.

"What about Juvia though?" Mira asked. "I'll deal with her," Erza said, nodding. "We have another day here before we have to go, we'll head to the hot springs I think, for our final day," she finished. "Sounds good to me, a day of pampering, just what we all need," Lucy said, stretching out on the bed she was using. "Yeah, I agree," Mira said. "It's not often I can get some free time like this, so I'm enjoying it probably a lot more then I should be," she finished with a little giggle.

"Well, we brought you because we know you're good at helping couples realize things too, plus I knew you needed a break," Erza said. Mira smiled, despite how they got along as kids, they were Nakama, and as they matured, so did their personalities. Mira couldn't be happier. She was glad she was surrounded by people who she could consider family, along with her little brother and sister as well. With a smile on her face, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. Erza shut the light off by her bed and went to sleep as well. The next day would be fun, they all knew Natsu would love the hot springs. Loke would be able to do a lot of flirting with both Gray and Natsu while they were all soaking in the hot water, rejuvenating themselves and their magic.

Natsu let out a sigh of contentedness as he slept, a smile of contentment on his face. The next morning everyone all met in the hall. "Alright guys, for our final day here, we're going to spend it in the spa and hot spring area," Erza said. "Absolutely no fighting," She warned. "Yes, ma'am!" Gray and Natsu said, which caused the girls to giggle. "Okay, let's go!" Natsu cheered. The group then all headed to the spa/hot springs.

The girls, of course, wanted to be pampered, where the boys simply got into the hot water to soak. "Ahhh...this feels so good." Natsu said after slipping inside, they were of course wearing the towels they were told were needed inside the water. Gray hissed softly as the hot water hit his cold skin, but he sank down into it to relax regardless, Loke simply slid into the water and let his shoulders pop with a groan. "You know, all wet you're both pretty hot," Loke said, grinning. "Well, thanks," Natsu said. "I know I'm hot, I mean I do use fire." he grinned. "but the ice block is cold. He uses ice." he finishing.

"So, he's so cold he's hot then, it still works." Loke pointed out, causing Natsu to grumble and Gray to chuckle. "Ice can't be hot Loke," Natsu said. "Well I'm not referring to your magic alone. Your bodies are both hot, nice and toned," Loke said licking his lips. Natsu shuddered a bit, his cheeks were a bit red from the words, which caused Loke to chuckle. "Do you like being called hot Natsu? I think you do," he said. "I'm hot in another way," Natsu said, trying to not let Loke's charm work on him. Gray simply shook his head, and laughed. Loke was a riot. "What are you laughing at ice block?" Natsu asked, glaring at Gray. "Your face!" Gray said with a laugh. "Loke is making your face turn bright red, and it's hilarious!" he finished. Natsu mumbled about 'stupid perverts and ice using strippers.' as he sulked in the hot water.

The girls all enjoyed their time in the spa, and after a few hours in the water Loke and Gray got out, but Natsu stayed in, the heat was a part of his element after all. "Natsu come on! We're all going to get something to eat!" Lucy called out, waving her arm at Natsu. Natsu got out of the water, his hair was soaked from when he went under it, and water rushed down his chest, trailed along his abs and finally slid down to under the towel. "Food?! I'm in!" he cheered.

They all headed into their respective changing areas and put their clothes back on. "Ahh, I feel great!" Lucy said, sighing as all the tension in her body had melted away from the spa treatment and hot spring soak. The group headed out to one of the little restaurants outside the resort and got whatever they wanted to eat. "Today is our last day here, make sure everything is packed and ready to go, we leave on the first train out, at exactly nine in the morning." Erza said as they waited for their food to arrive. After the food arrived, everyone ate and chatted. They talked about how it had been fun, and they couldn't wait to be able to come back again sometime later

. After paying for their meal the group made their way back to their rooms. "Alright, I'm going to shower first," Loke said, leaving Gray and Natsu in the room alone together. "So, Gray do you want to wait until we're about to leave, or do you want to wait until we're back at the guild to tell everyone together?" Natsu asked. "Well, I think we can tell everyone here, we can trust them, but we can wait a little while to tell the rest of the guild if you feel more comfortable waiting," Gray said. "Well, the spring season hasn't started yet, so we could always wait until then if you think it's a good idea," Natsu said.

"Might be a good idea," Gray said. "Though, I don't like the idea of people like Loke hitting on you anymore. Call me possessive," he admitted, causing Natsu to laugh a bit. "Me either," Natsu said. Gray nodded. "You take the next shower, I'll go after you," Gray said. Natsu nodded. "Alright," Within minutes Loke finished his moderately warm shower, he then got dressed and got in bed. "Good night you two," he said, before turning his light off. "Good night Loke," Natsu and Gray both said.

"Be out in a few," Natsu said, before getting up and heading to the shower. He put it on scalding and washed his hair and body. After he finished, he grabbed his hygiene supplies aside from his toothbrush and placed them in his bag. He climbed into bed in his clean boxers and turned his light off. "Good night Ice block," he said. "Good night flame breath," Gray said as he went into the bathroom to take a nice chilly shower. After he finished, he slipped on a clean pair of black boxers. He grabbed his hygiene supplies and packed them back up as well. He then headed into the mostly dark room and laid down after shutting the light off. He fell asleep rather quickly.

The next morning everyone brushed their teeth, got dressed and met in the hallway. "Are you all ready to go? Got everything packed?" Erza asked. "Yeah, I'm good to go," Natsu said, grinning. "I had a lot of fun on this vacation," he finished. Gray nodded in agreement with Natsu. "Yeah, this was great, thanks Erza," Gray said. "I had loads of fun, I got to share a room with these two," Loke grinned as he wrapped one arm around Natsu and Gray. Gray stepped out from Loke's arm. "Actually, I have something I want to tell you guys, but you all need to promise to keep it to yourselves, no telling the guild," he said.

Natsu gulped and squirmed a bit as he was grabbed from Loke by Gray. "Well, actually it's not just me, but us. Natsu and I. We have something to tell you all, and we're trusting you guys with this," he finished. Natsu squirmed a bit as their friends stared at them as if they didn't already know. "Y-yeah...so I found out who my mate is..." Natsu said softly, not out of embarrassment, but because he was afraid if he spoke too loudly, he'd wake and it'd all be just a dream. "I-it's Gray..." he finished, biting his lip. Gray nodded. "I accepted, we're going to wait awhile  before we come out to the entire guild, at least, however long Natsu feels like waiting, but this means..." Gray said, turning to face Loke. "You keep your hands off my Natsu," he said possessively.

Loke chuckled. "You got it, but if he asks me..." he grinned. "I won't," Natsu said. "Gray is all I need, he's my mate, and we'll bond once we're ready." he finished, his cheeks dark red. "Awww! That's sooo cute!" Mira and Lucy squealed. Erza was already getting perverted thoughts about the two males together, which caused her nose to start bleeding a bit. She dabbed it away quickly. "Alright, let's get to the train station. Gray, Natsu is yours to watch over during the ride," She said.

"Alright, I think my chilly temperature is what keeps him from getting sick, leave it to me," Gray said smiling at Natsu, who blushed. "They really are cute together," Lucy said as she walked behind the two boys who were walking towards the train station hand in hand. "I guess we know why Natsu never showed an interest in anyone, he was trying to figure out who his mate was," Erza said. The group all boarded the train and waited for it to start moving. Natsu laid on the seat, his head on Gray's lap as he'd done twice before, but this time the ice wizard was threading his fingers through Natsu's hair with a smile on his face as he looked down at his new boyfriend.

 _'Boyfriend, I like how that sounds.'_ Natsu thought as he smiled up at Gray. "So, we're dating now, right?" he asked. Gray nodded. "Yeah, we're boyfriends now." Gray smiled back at Natsu as he responded to the question. "The weirdness that led to us beginning to date makes some sense now," Natsu said softly, the comfort from Gray's fingers on his scalp and through his hair was making him want to take a nap. "Yeah, the random things, the random uncomfortable times, and all the fights," Gray chuckled, as the train kept moving, Natsu eventually nodded off, and slept. Gray kept running his fingers through Natsu's hair, a smile on his face. Within a few hours the group was back in Magnolia. "I'll take Natsu to my place for now, it's closest." Gray said. Erza nodded. "When he wakes up, you two should go to the guild. We'll all be there, and I promise not to say anything about your relationship," she said. "Thank you," Gray said as he picked up Natsu, and Happy flew behind him with the bag.

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If I'm able to I'll post another one in a few hours.  
**


	5. Of Fire Eating and Annoucements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy had found a job and thought to go along with Natsu on it alone, Erza would have none of that, and of course Gray also came along.

**_Recap: "I'll take Natsu to my place, for now, it's closest," Gray said. Erza nodded. "When he wakes up, you two should go to the guild. We'll all be there, and I promise not to say anything about your relationship., she said. "Thank you," Gray said as he picked up Natsu, Happy flew behind him with the bags._ **

* * *

Gray had Natsu on his back, the unconscious dragon slayer was actually rather light, of course, Gray wanted to carry Natsu in his arms, but he didn't want his partially secret boyfriend to be revealed just yet so he took him to his house to rest for awhile. Erza split off from the group walking shortly after they'd arrived in Magnolia, Lucy went to her own house, and Mira headed to the guild. Loke was somewhere, probably hitting on some poor defenseless person who stood no chance versus his charm, Gray simply shook his head to clear his thoughts, and focused on carrying the unconscious Natsu to his house.  
  
As he arrived at his place, he opened the door with the help of Happy, who was still flying carrying the bags. "Just set the bags where ever for now Happy," Gray said. "Aye," Happy said, placing the bags on the sofa. Gray then opened his bedroom door and walked into the room. "Happy, can you help me out in here?" Gray called out, the Exceed flew into the room. "Oh, sure!" Happy said. "Alright, I need you to help me get Natsu onto my bed," Gray said. Happy picked up Natsu off of Gray's back and held him in the air as Gray pulled the blanket and sheets back, Happy then set Natsu on the bed, and Gray covered him up.  
  
"Would you like something to eat Happy?" Gray asked. "Do you have any fish?" Happy asked. "I have some smoked salmon, is that alright?" Gray asked. "Mmm! I love salmon!" Happy exclaimed, despite how loud he was, Natsu didn't stir. Gray and Happy left the bedroom, but Gray left the door open, that way if Natsu woke up he could smell the food in the kitchen.  
  
"Gray, if you break Natsu's heart, I'm going to scratch you." Happy warned. "Not a soft one either, but a hard one! So don't mess up!" he finished. Gray chuckled a bit. "I know Happy, I know you will." he said as he placed a large slab of smoked salmon on a plate in front of Happy. Happy dug in. Gray began making some tea. "So Gray, why do you like Natsu?" Happy asked. "Why do I like him?" Gray asked as he sat down on a chair and thought about the answer. "You know, I'm not entirely sure. I care for him more then I care about anyone else in the guild. If Natsu died, I don't know what I'd do," Gray started. "When I see him smile my heartbeat speeds up. When he laughs, I want to make sure he keeps laughing," he said, smiling. "I believe, no I know...Natsu is the other half of my soul, he's the piece of the puzzle that completes me," he finished.  
  
Happy giggled. "You loooooove him!" he said. Natsu woke up and yawned. He sat up and stretched as he heard Gray and Happy somewhere nearby. As he heard Gray's words his cheeks flushed. He stood up, and followed his nose to where Gray was. "Hi Natsu!" Happy said. "Hey little buddy, hi Gray," he said, his cheeks still slightly flushed. "Are you alright Natsu? Your face is red," Gray said. "I'm fine, but did you...did you mean it?" Natsu asked, looking at Gray with hope in his eyes. "Mean what?" Gray asked. "That I complete you?" he asked, wanting to hear Gray say it again. "I meant every word of it Natsu. I love you, and you complete me. You are the other half of my soul, my puzzle piece," Gray said, pulling Natsu onto his lap where he'd then nuzzle the dragon slayers neck, eliciting a cute squeak from the younger, and slightly shorter male.  
  
"Graaay," Natsu squeaked out, while he tilted his head to the side, allowing his boyfriend access to his neck. Happy saw what the two of them were doing. "I'll see you at the guild later!" he said, before flying out the window, causing Gray to chuckle. "I love you Natsu," he whispered into Natsu's ear. "I love you too Gray," Natsu said, his face red from embarrassment.  
  
"We should probably get to the guild, Natsu," Gray said. "Yeah, you're right," Natsu said, moving off of Gray's lap to a standing position. He grinned at Gray. "So, how are we doing this?" he asked, looking at the older male. "Well, I figured for now we'd keep it to ourselves, maybe in a few weeks or so we'd tell the whole guild. Loke, Erza, Mira, and Lucy can be trusted, well we can hope," Gray said. "Yeah, so should I head there first, and then you follow, or should we just show up together?" Natsu asked.  
  
"Well, everyone was likely told I brought you here to rest from the train, so they'll likely expect us to turn up at the same time," Gray said. Natsu smiled at Gray, not a grin, but an actual smile. "Alright, let's go then!" he said, before grabbing Gray's hand and dragging the other from the house they were inside. "Wa-wait Natsu!" Gray said. Natsu stopped and turned to face Gray, then he noticed Gray was in only his boxers. "Ooh...you should probably go get dressed," Natsu said a sheepish smile on his face, as well as a blush on his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, I'll wait here," he finished.  
  
Gray shook his head. "It's fine, it's not like I know when I take my clothes off, or for what reason," he said, before heading back into his place to put some clothes on. Natsu simply waited outside, smiling a bit in the warm air. It seemed as if Spring might come early if the scent in the air was anything to go by. Gray emerged from his house fully dressed. "Alright, let's go now Natsu," Gray said. The two boys then made their way to the guild, where there seemed to be some sort of meeting or something going on, as a few of the guild members were around a section of the bar, near where Mira was usually working.  
  
"Oh, Gray, Natsu! Over here!" Lucy called out, waving the boys to her, she was among the group who were all in one area. "Is there something going on?" Gray asked. "We've got two new members!" Lucy said, she sounded really excited about it. Natsu blinked. "Who?" he asked. Lucy shrugged. "They're brother and sister, said their names were Akira and Zane," she said. Natsu nodded. He decided to head over to the job board to see if there was anything simple, nothing seemed to catch his eye, so he shrugged and walked away. He'd check later.

* * *

As there were new members, the guild held a party. Everyone was having a good time, until someone knocked Natsu over, who fell into the punch. Of course Natsu being hot-headed as he was, swung his fist...which hit Gray. Then the two were rolling around, tables and people flying as they fought. Ice and fire flying this way and that. Akira managed to dodge some fire that flew her way, but she got hit by a table and flew into her brother, who then joined the two beating one another up. A three-way fight it was until some other people joined, then all of a sudden it was a full on full guild brawl. "Shouldn't you stop them?" Mira asked the Master. "Oh, it'll be fine, they'll settle down on their own." Makarov said.  
  
Laxus simply laughed from the second floor watching the huge fight. Half an hour after the fight started, there were only two people fighting anymore. Gray and Natsu. "Ice breath!" "Flame Brain!" "Popsicle!" "Fire breath!" they were insulting one another, if Lucy and the others who had been on vacation with them didn't know otherwise, they would think the two boys were simply fighting, but the glints in their respective eyes said otherwise, not that many people were looking that close. Eventually, they stopped fighting and started laughing.  
  
Gray helped Natsu up off the floor, and Natsu grinned and rubbed the back of his neck. During the entire fight, Erza's cake miraculously survived. "Do you feel better now bro, since you fought those two?" Akira asked her brother. She'd healed herself after hitting the wall, so she was alright, then she set to work healing the minor injuries the various people got during the huge brawl. "This guild is fun, I think we're going to like it!" she said with a giggle as she hugged her brother. Zane simply chuckled. "Yeah, plus there are a lot of powerful people here," he said, agreeing with her.  
  
Makarov made his way over to the twin siblings. "So, what do you think of my little family of rambunctious magic users? Do you think you'll like it here, or will you seek a new guild until you find a better place?" he asked them. "So far it's the best one we've tried. There is always Sabertooth, but there is rumors of those guys having some evil people inside their guild, as well as something about murders," Zane said. Akira nodded. "I like the people here, they seem fun!" she giggled, causing the master to laugh. "Well, it's been arranged for you two to stay in the respective areas Fairy Hills for her and an apartment for you, until you get your own place. I would advise seeing about joining a team to help you make some jewel." Makarov said. "We'll get settled in first, before finding work. Thank you again," Akira said, before walking over to one of the girls who lived in Fairy Hills to see where she was staying. They told her to talk to Mira, and she did.  
  
Sometime while the guild members were otherwise occupied Natsu and Gray had snuck off, they were in one of the many rooms inside the main guild building. Gray had Natsu pinned to one of the walls, he held his wrists above his head as he kissed along the dragon slayers jaw and nibbled on his neck and earlobe, leaving a mark on his neck. "Nn..." Natsu moaned out softly. He was biting his bottom lip as Gray teased the skin of his neck. "G-Gray..." he panted. "We shouldn't do this, not here..." he said, a shiver going through his body at how he felt from the actions alone.  
  
"You're right," Gray said, before leaning down and kissing Natsu. "We're probably not ready for going all the way just yet either," Gray said with a chuckle. "I don't want to rush you, but you're just so fucking sexy," he said while looking at Natsu. Natsu blushed a bit. "I'm not really sexy, you're the one who strips unconsciously," Natsu teased, which caused Gray to laugh. "Well, either way, we should probably get home. I'm sure Happy is worried about you, oh and make sure your scarf is on, or people are going to ask you questions," Gray said with a grin.  
  
Natsu felt his neck. "What did you do Gray?" he asked. "Nothing Natsu," Gray said before he exited the room they'd gone inside. Natsu waited a few minutes before he too evacuated the room. He made sure his scarf was on before he shoved his hands into his pockets, and walked home. Happy was already at the house waiting for Natsu. "I was looking for you Natsu!" Happy cried out, before barreling into Natsu, almost knocking the dragon slayer over." "Sorry for worrying you buddy," Natsu said as he'd pat Happy on the top of the head.  
  
"Just don't do it again," Happy said with a pout. "I'll let you know if I'm going to be late next time Happy, I promise," Natsu said as the two made their way into their house. "I'm heading to bed Happy, night!" Natsu said before heading into his bedroom and removing his clothes down to his boxers before climbing into his bed and going to sleep. "Good night Natsu!" Happy called out, before going to bed as well.

* * *

Gray made his way home, his jeans managed to stay on, though his shirt was discarded somewhere. The cool fresh air of course didn't affect him, he loved the slight chill in the air. His mind went wandering, it went to his Natsu. _'My Natsu, I like the sound of that.'_ he thought to himself, with a smile. He made his way into his house as his mind kept wandering to the pink haired dragon slayer he'd become enamored with. Natsu and he had been rivals at their first meeting, they butted heads and fought all the time, but over the years their relationship shifted and changed.  
  
They'd gone from being mere rivals with opposing elements to being friends, then best friends and now boyfriends. They'd be lovers before too long, as that's how it tended to work. As much as Gray wanted Natsu, he wanted to make sure he was ready, and that he really wanted it. He wanted everything to be perfect, despite his cold demeanor and the fact that he was literally cold to the touch Gray had a fire in his heart, a fire named Natsu Dragneel. He smiled thinking about all the times they'd done things together, like the S-Class Mission he 'joined' Natsu and Lucy on, at Galuna Island.  
  
He remembered the words Natsu said as he'd prepared to use Iced Shell again. **_"I didn't let you do it then because I didn't want you to die. Didn't my voice reach you?"_** An even bigger smile went across Gray's face at the memory. Then there was the incident at the train station when they fought Eligor and his guild. When Gray and Natsu had decided to split up to cover individual parts of the station, Gray had told Natsu not to die. Of course Gray has no idea that Natsu heard him, nor does he know that Natsu remembers that time. Gray took the time to think of all the arguments they had in the past, most of them were really stupid. Now if they decided to move in together, they'd probably argue over who got which side of the bed.  
  
He chuckled. _'Oh that's rich, Natsu and I arguing over the sides of the bed._ ' He chuckled and shook his head. By the time he made it to his apartment he was in his boxers, and he didn't seem to notice. He unlocked the door and made his way inside. After removing his shoes at the door, he'd then head into his bedroom to get a good nights rest. He shut the light off, and closed his eyes, dreaming of his green-eyed, pink haired, fire using boyfriend a smile ever present on his face.

* * *

The next morning Natsu and Happy went to the guild for breakfast, Natsu hadn't had time to go shopping the night before for food as he'd been busy with the party and necking with his boyfriend that it slipped his mind. Mira of course was always happy to feed them. A little after noon Gray showed up in the guild, he was miraculously fully dressed still. He sent a soft smile at Natsu, who responded in kind, before they both looked away from one another.  
  
Gray had some ice cream, as he sat at the bar to eat it. Lucy showed up a short while later and was chatting with Natsu, who seemed a little interested in what the celestial wizard had to say. Erza was the last of their group to arrive at the guild, which surprised everyone as the Titania was typically one of the first there. She'd partied a bit too hard the night before was all, and she had a bit of a hangover. Mira giggled, all too happy to supply the Titania with something to help ease her headache.  
  
"Hey, ice pervert! Your clothes are missing!" Natsu called out at Gray, a glint in his eyes. Gray looked down and shrugged. "You wanna fight flame brain?!" Gray challenged as he stood up. "Bring it on ice block!" Natsu said, before running at Gray, his fist ablaze. Gray dodged to the side, and kneed Natsu in the stomach, sending the dragon slayer flying into a nearby pillar. Natsu stood up. "I'm all fired up now!" he said, dropping into a position before sprinting at Gray and tackling him.  
  
The two fought for a while before Erza grabbed them both by their pants, or in Grays case his boxers. "Would you two behave?!" she growled. "Scary!" Gray and Natsu both said as they hugged one another in response to her glare. "That's better," Erza said, before turning back to her drink and cake. "Natsu! I found a job we can do together!" Lucy said, holding out a piece of paper. "'Fire Eater Wanted: Pay 3,000,000 Jewel' It's just in the next town," she finished.  
  
Natsu shrugged. "Sounds good, decent pay will fill both our pockets for a time," Natsu said. "Alright, let's get ready for it then," he finished. "Alright, let's do this then," Erza said suddenly as she stood behind the two. "Of course Gray will also come along, right?" she asked. "It's just a two-man job..." Lucy said. "Nonsense, we're the strongest team in Fairy Tail, we're not breaking up," Erza said. Lucy let out a sigh. "Fine, we'll take this one Mira!" She said, placing the flyer down on the top of the bar. "Alright, you five have fun now," Mira said, with a giggle.  
  
"We may as well pack our things and meet at the train in an hour," Erza said. "The sooner we get there the sooner we can come back and rest," The others nodded in agreement. Happy flew Natsu to their place so they could pack quickly. The two of them then waited at the train for the others. Lucy showed up second, followed by Erza, and Gray was last. "I already bought the tickets," Natsu said. "As much as I get sick on transportation, I'll do this because it's quicker than walking," he said.  
  
The team then boarded the train. Erza, Lucy, and Happy on one side, Gray with Natsu's head on his lap in the other. Gray threaded his fingers through Natsu's hair, which was a lot softer than any guys hair probably should be, but that means Natsu took good care of it. Gray kept massaging Natsu's scalp, loving the noises he could get the younger one to make. After an hour on the train, it came to a stop and the group got off.  
  
"So this job needed a fire eater huh? Good job for Natsu, especially if there are any attacks while he's eating the fire," Erza said. Lucy nodded. "Alright, let's get to the hotel and check in before we head to the place the job came from," Erza said. The group then made their way to the hotel in the town. It was a large town, but not yet a city. The hotel was nice enough, but still pretty cheap. Erza bought two rooms, one with a double bed set up, the other with a single bed. "Boys here's your key," she said, handing the key to the single bed to Gray. Her, Lucy and Happy would share the other room.  
  
Gray and Natsu dropped their stuff off in their room and waited for the girls in the hall. "Alright, let's go see if these people need any other performers for whatever they're doing, we might be able to get more jewel this way too," Erza said, causing a couple of the others to sweatdrop. The group made their way to the fairgrounds, where the flyer had come from. "Hello, we're here to talk to Miss Genie, the lady who sent in the job for a fire-eater," Erza said. "We're wizards from Fairy Tail," she finished.  
  
"I'll go get Genie, give me but a moment," An older woman with silvery-purple hair said, her teal eyes seeming almost other worldly. She came back with a younger woman who was likely her daughter. "Oh my gosh! You're Titania Erza Scarlet and Celestial Princess Lucy Heartfilia! Ice Prince Gray Fullbuster and Salamander Natsu Dragneel!" The woman squealed. "We've got a job opening for Salamander, but I'm sure we can arrange for you all to perform here! I wouldn't want your time to have been wasted," Genie explained. "We open tomorrow, and run for a week. I'll pay you each three million jewel for this. Natsu will be eating and breathing fire in a flashy show like way. Gray you could make stuff with your ice magic, Lucy could summon some spirits for a show, and of course Erza could do some stuff with her magic as well. How does that sound?" she finished. "I get to work, and stay full the whole time, I'm in!" Natsu said, grinning.  
  
Genie clapped her hands together. "It's settled then! You all can decide how to do what you're going to do, and we'll explain to Natsu how his thing works," she said. "Oh, I know what to do, and I'll make sure the fire doesn't catch any rides, people or buildings on fire. You can go ahead and tell me what you'd like for me to perform though, but I'm going to put a bit of flare into it, make each day a different thing as well if that's alright," Natsu said.  
  
"Wow, that was actually mature..." Lucy mumbled, causing Natsu to glare at her. She'd chosen this job after all. "Alright, well for the first day I just want you to keep it somewhat simple. Just a few big puffs of fire, and some fire eating. Maybe a bit of dancing if possible, and we're going to give you guys all costumes to wear!" Genie giggled. After that she showed them around the place, it was a rather large fair for such a seemingly small town, but they figured the town must like things like this. "Here is where you will all be performing," Genie said, showing them a large stage. Natsu grinned. "Awesome! Look Happy, swords!" He ran towards them and began looking over them, a smile on his face.  
  
Gray watched him and shook his head a bit. Natsu eventually came back to the group. "Erza you might like some of those swords, they were cool looking!" Natsu exclaimed. Erza laughed. "I'll look at them tomorrow before we start working for the first day. What time should we be here?" She asked. "Nine in the morning is when we open. So eight would be great, it would give you enough time to get into your costume as well as get some practice in so no accidents happen. Not that I think they will or anything, but it's a precaution. After you finish your shifts every day we'll feed you," Genie said.  
  
"Alright food!" Happy and Natsu cheered. Gray chuckled and shook his head, Lucy simply shook her head. "Alright, well we're going to take a look around town, maybe grab some stuff then go to our hotel room. We'll be here first thing in the morning to start work," Erza said, before shaking Genie's hand. The group then left. They took a look around the town, it was small, but had everything that a growing town would need. A bank, some shops, food places, bakeries and the like. As well as a great many houses, a ranch and farm full of nothing but vegetables. After looking around and grabbing some things to take home the group made their way back to the hotel and headed to their respective rooms. "Good night you two, do try to behave," Erza said with a grin, which caused Natsu to blush. "We will," Gray said before he and Natsu headed into their room, and shut the door.  
  
Gray and Natsu each stripped down to their boxers before they climbed into the bed. Natsu scooted close to Gray and laid his head on the ice wizards chest, and Gray wrapped his arms around Natsu, holding him close. "This is nice," Gray said. "Being able to hold someone I love," he said, running his fingers through Natsu's hair a few times, eliciting a few soft moans from the younger male. Natsu would eventually nuzzle his way to the crook of Grays' neck, breathing his boyfriend's scent in deeply before falling asleep. Gray smiled as he held Natsu, the other male fit perfectly in his arms.  
  
Gray fell asleep shortly after Natsu did, his nose buried in Natsu's hair. While they were asleep Happy snuck into the room and took a few pictures of the two, for the 'Gratsu Fanclub' at the guild. Of course, the pictures wouldn't fall into the hands of the fan club until after the boys came out to the entire guild. With a giggle, Happy made his way back to the girls and showed them the pictures. "Aww, look at how cute they are! Gray is holding Natsu so protectively," Lucy squealed softly. Erza smiled.  
  
Gray and Natsu really were a good match for one another. While they both had past things that damaged them, they could overcome them together, and they would. She could see it. Gray and Natsu would probably be the first gay couple in Fairy Tail that married. She couldn't wait! "Um Erza, what's with that look? It's kind of creepy," Lucy asked. "Oh, nothing, just thinking of the future is all," Erza said. "We ought to get some sleep ourselves. Good night you two." she finished, before shutting the light off. "Good night Erza," Lucy and Happy said. The trio all fell asleep shortly after the light went off.  
  
The next morning everyone woke up, though some of them didn't really want to leave their beds, in order to have breakfast they had to. One of the ones who didn't want to move was Natsu because he was comfortable in his boyfriend's arms. Gray smiled and kissed Natsu good morning before they finally made it out of bed, they made it down to breakfast just in time. "I was worried you two might not make it," Erza said.  
  
"Lucky for you, we saved you guys some food. So eat up!" Lucy said as she held out a plate to the two boys. It was loaded with various breakfast foods, pancakes, bacon, sausage, and biscuits. Natsu, of course, dug in as fast as he could, and Gray simply enjoyed what he ate. After they finished the group headed to the fairgrounds to begin training themselves for whatever they were going to be doing that day, and for the next work week. "Alright, everyone! Here are your costumes!" Genie calls out, as she brings a pile of boxes out. "Here you all go! The boxes are labeled, and you can simply use the changing rooms to change into them. Have fun!" she giggled before she ran back towards the entry.  
  
Natsu was having some fun with the fire as he breathed it out in some sort of design. Of course he'd eat some flames as well, just not his own. Gray was making small things in his practice. He was making things like crowns, roses and various other trinkets and collectibles. Lucy was having Lyra play music, and Plue dance. Erza was juggling swords and seemingly enjoying herself. Happy was simply keeping an eye on them all, making sure that nothing weird happened. No random fires and what not.

* * *

The fair opened and people begun trickling in. "Mommy! Mommy look its Salamander!" A child said in wonder as he dragged his mother over to see the dragon slayer playing with as well as eating fire. "Ooh! It's the ice prince! he's soooo much hotter in real life!" A teenaged girl said. Suddenly the Fairy Tail wizards were all being all but overrun by various fans. Men, women, teens and children of all ages were watching them.  
  
"Can I have your autograph!?"  
  
"Oh my god sign my breasts!"  
  
"Will you sign my baby?" These were things asked of the wizards. None of them were comfortable with the people surrounding them, and Happy could see that. So he flew over to where Genie was an spoke to her. Genie then walked out and put out a red rope to keep the townspeople away from the famous wizards. This same sort of thing happened for the entire week they worked. They were going to head home on the weekend. Natsu was actually looking forward to going home, where people knew he was famous but didn't care one bit about it. To them, he was just their flame breathing and eating fireball known simply as Natsu Dragneel.  
  
Natsu actually stayed conscious during the ride to Magnolia from the town they'd been at for the job, so when they got off the train he and Happy headed directly to their own place. It was relatively dark out, so they would head to the guild the following morning to let the Master know the job was completed and the person who hired them was happy. Very happy in fact. Natsu was so tired from the week that he collapsed bonelessly onto his bed. Well partially, he was half on, half off, still fully dressed. Happy fell asleep on the couch.  
  
Lucy took a bath and then went to bed. Erza headed to her room at Fairy Hills. The next morning Erza headed into the guild to speak to the Master and let him know that the job was done. She also let him know about everything the group was put through, and how they were compensated. She also took the time to point out that nothing was set on fire, frozen, blasted, blown up or otherwise destroyed on the entire mission. The job was one of many the team had taken that went perfectly. Within the following weeks, the group would do various small jobs here and there. They made enough money to take time off, but they wanted to make sure they had the extra jewel in case anything happened. It was always good to prepare, especially if something happened to the guild again.  
  
Gray and Natsu actually went on a date, under the ruse of a 'You lost so you have to feed me' bet, the townspeople actually bought it, and no one was the wiser. It was crazy that only the people who had been there still knew. Of course, the Master knew, he knew everything, but he was waiting for the boys to decide to let the guild know. Natsu was curled up on the couch. "I think I'm ready to let them know now, what about you?" he asked. Gray nodded. "Yeah, might be a good idea. I think we should too, that way nobody gets hurt," he said.  
  
Natsu hopped up off the couch, and the two made their way to the guild. "So, how should we do this?" Natsu asked. Gray shrugged. "We'll figure something out I'm sure," he said. "Yeah, you're right," Natsu said with a smile. The two walked up to the doors to the guild, and walked inside, hand in hand. As the door closed, the guild fell silent. "Hello boys. Is everything alright?" Mira asked. "Y-yeah.." Natsu said, as he squirmed a bit, and tried to hide. Gray simply squeezed the hand in his and smiled. "We have something we want to tell you all," he said. Natsu bit his bottom lip, worried. Gray took a deep breath. "For the past few months Natsu and I have been dating. He's my boyfriend," he said. There was the sound of many chairs scraping against the floor as the guild members went towards Gray and Natsu, but what happened next was not what the boys were expecting at all.

* * *

**To be continued. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**


	6. Of Lizards and Love Making

**Recap:** **_"We have something we want to tell you all." he said. Natsu bit his bottom lip, worried. Gray took a deep breath. "For the past few months, Natsu and I have been dating. He's my boyfriend," he said. There was the sound of many chairs scraping against the floor as the guild members went towards Gray and Natsu, but what happened next was not what the boys were expecting at all._ **

* * *

Suddenly the guild was in an uproar, there were cheers and hollers from all around them. There was a chorus of "It's about time!"s and "Finally!"s from a few of the members. Natsu suddenly tried to hide behind Gray, all while still clutching the older males hand, which resulted in a surround sound of 'Aww!" Which led to the dragon slayer to grumble. The boys had thought the guild would take it well, but they never expected it to be quite this well.

After flooding the floor twice, Juvia spoke. "Juvia knows now why Gray-sama never professed his love for her, because Gray-samas heart belongs to Natsu-san," Juvia said. "As long as Gray-sama is happy, Juvia will be happy for him," she finished. Natsu peeked out from behind Gray, he'd been expecting Juvia to lash out at him, attack him even. Or something, but this was unexpected. Utterly unexpected. He blinked, his eyes wide as he swallowed thickly and let out a breath he had no idea he'd been holding.

Gajeel walked over to them and clapped Gray on the back. "Good job Gray, you caught a good one!" he said with a grin. Gray grunted at the impact Gajeel's hand made, but it hadn't hurt him or anything. Eventually, Natsu moved to be up against Gray's side again, their hands still linked as well as their fingers laced together. The pyro had a smile on his face, unlike his grins or his excited smiles, but one of contentedness. He was clearly happy now that he and Gray had finally admitted to the whole guild that they were a couple.

"I'm glad you two finally decided to let everyone else know," Erza said, as she looked up from her cake. Mira giggled. "Yeah, it was getting hard to keep the secret," she admitted. "You're telling me," Lucy said. Loke shook his head. "Thank the stars I don't have to stay quiet anymore," he said. Suddenly the rest of the guild members looked at the ones who had spoken. "YOU KNEW?!" Was all that was yelled. "We were entrusted with the secret," Erza said, and the subject was dropped.

Gray and Natsu walked over to the table Erza sat at, and sat next to one another. "Is it going to be weird without us brawling constantly?" Gray asked Erza. "Maybe a little bit, but I had a feeling something like this was going to happen between the two of you sooner or later, because you've been friends since you were really young," Erza said. "You two went from rivals, to friends, from friends to best friends, then best friends to lovers," she finished. Natsu tried to hide his red cheeks in his scarf to no avail. "So Natsu is the bottom huh?" Lucy asked, giggling at the pyro as she was shot her a nasty glare.

"I don't see how my position in the bedroom is any of your business," Natsu said. Gray wrapped his arm around Natsu, who leaned into the embrace. "This is nice," he said, nuzzling his face into Gray's bare chest. "Gray where'd your shirt go?" Lucy asked. "I have no idea, but Natsu doesn't seem to mind," he said with a chuckle. Natsu stood up, then got onto the table before slipping onto Gray's lap. He'd lean up and gently press his lips to Gray's. There was a hum of approval as the kiss went on. A few hoots and claps made the two separate, Natsu's face crimson as he tried to hide in Gray's chest. "How about we go get some ice cream or something Natsu?" Gray offered. "S-Sure," Natsu said, he'd then climb off of Gray's lap, and jump off the table.

Gray would then stand up. "We'll be back sometime later." He said, before grabbing Natsu's hand. "They are so cute together," Mira said with a giggle. Happy would laugh a bit, he was going to be a very rich feline soon. What with the pictures he's taken of the couple. He'd captured not only their first kiss, but them cuddling and them holding hands while shopping together before. The Gratsu Fanclub was going to make him rich. Natsu linked his and Gray's fingers together as they walked. A few townspeople would stop and look at them, before smiling and waving as they kept moving.

They went to a cafe that sold all means of desserts. Cold, hot, and in between. "How can I help you cuties today?" The waitress asked, winking at Gray who kept smiling at Natsu. "I'll have a strawberry sundae," Gray said. "Alright, and you sugar?" she asked, turning her attention to the pink haired male. "I want a hot fudge sundae," he said. Gray was surprised, Natsu normally avoided cold things. "What? I want to try some ice cream too, but with the fudge, it shouldn't be too cold for me," Natsu said, a blush on his cheeks.

Gray smiled and grabbed Natsu's hand, before kissing it, which caused the dragon slayer to blush deeper and try to hide his face in his scarf again. "I'm glad we told the guild, though I was expecting some people to react negatively," Gray said. Natsu nodded. "Me too, I thought Juvia was going to flip and flood the guild, or try to kill me, or both," he said. "I'm glad nothing bad happened though," he finished, smiling at Gray. The sundaes they ordered came out, an they began eating them. Natsu hummed in appreciation as he ate his. The hotness of the fudge made the coldness of the ice cream bearable for him.

"This is really good Gray, I see why you eat so much ice cream now," Natsu said, which caused his boyfriend to laugh and shake his head. "Well, I'm an ice wizard, liking cold things and places is like second nature to me," he explained. "Yet you love me, and I'm a fire user," Natsu pointed out. "Yes, well you know how the saying goes. Opposites attract," Gray said, smiling at his Natsu. The to finished their ice cream and paid for them before heading out. "What should we do now Natsu?" Gray asked. "I don't know. I just want to spend time with you," Natsu said. "How about we go to my house then, we can watch a movie together," Gray said. "Sounds good to me," Natsu said, smiling at his boyfriend.

The two boys walked hand in hand over to Gray's house, where they then went inside. Gray kicked his shoes off at the door, as did Natsu, then they made their way into the living room. "Any movie you want to really see Natsu?" Gray asked, Natsu shrugged. "I'm not sure, something with a lot of action maybe some explosions?" he asked, causing Gray to chuckle. "Alright, I'll put in something like that, I'll also grab us something to drink and snack on for the movie. The commercials before the movie began were done by the time Gray emerged from the kitchen. He was carrying a bowl of popcorn and two glasses of soda. Natsu smiled as the title screen to the movie appeared on the tv.

Gray pressed play, and the title exploded with a huge fire ball. Natsu bounced in his seat a few times, before he'd curl up against Gray's side, the other wrapping an arm around Natsus shoulder as they watched the movie. The soda cups were emptied and the bowl of popcorn abandoned as the two cuddled. As the movie came to a close, Gray would lean down and press his lips to Natsu's, causing the dragon slayer to wrap his arms around Gray's neck as he pulled the other closer, which in turn caused the popcorn bowl to land on the floor and send some kernels flying. One of Gray's hands rubbed Natsu's chest as the kiss deepened.

Gray would gently tug Natsu's scarf off before he'd lean down and latch his lips upon the warm skin of his boyfriend's neck. He'd suck slightly hard, eliciting a soft noise from Natsu. Gray would chuckle as he pulled away a minute later to admire the dark love bite he'd marked Natsu with. "Graaay!" Natsu whined softly as he felt the chill of the evening air inside the house hit the wetness of the mark his boyfriend had left on him, his face was flushed and his lips parted slightly as he pouted up at Gray who was leaning over him.

"You're too hot, I can't keep my hands and mouth off of you Natsu," Gray said, his blue eyes clouded with some sort of emotion Natsu had never seen before, he'd moan a bit as he caught the scent of Grays arousal. Natsu bit his lip and leaned up, causing his vest to fall down onto his shoulders as his green eyes closed a bit. "You're hot too Gray," he whispered against his boyfriends lips.

Gray eventually picked Natsu up, leaving whatever clothing that had fallen off of the two of them wherever it fell. He'd carry his boyfriend into the bedroom and lay him on the bed. Natsu's face was a deep crimson as he bit his bottom lip and squirmed a bit. His scarf and vest were gone, in the living room somewhere, and he was in only his pants and boxers, where Gray still had his shirt, pants and boxers on. "This is hardly fair," Natsu pouted up at his boyfriend.

Gray chuckled. "I see what you mean, let's even the odds then." Gray said, as he unbuttoned and pulled his own shirt off, leaving both of them shirtless. "Is this better Natsu?" Gray asked, grinning down at the dragon slayer who was on his back on the bed, his cheeks crimson. "Y-yeah," Natsu said. Gray would then climb over him and lean down to connect their lips once again in a deep kiss. The kiss felt great, the two of them had their hands roaming the planes of each others chests. Natsu's warm fingertips dancing along the lines along Gray's abs, as Gray's hands wandered all over Natsu's chest and sides, eliciting soft noises from the pink haired male.

As they parted to breath, Natsu let out a soft whimper. He clearly didn't want the kiss to have ended. Gray chuckled as he leaned towards Natsu's ear and whispered to him. Natsu shuddered as he felt the chilled breath ghosting along his neck. "Y-Yeah," was what Natsu said in response. Soon enough the two males were completely bare of clothing, their pants and boxers laying somewhere off in a corner forgotten for the time.

* * *

After they finished making love for the first time the two would feel a slight tingle on their necks. "Mmm...Gray..." Natsu said with a tired yawn as he cuddled into his mates arms. "Love you...Gray..." he finished before closing his eyes and falling asleep in Gray's embrace. The other boy smiled and rubbed his boyfriend's back a few times before slipping out of the bed to head to the bathroom. He had something to dispose of. After cleaning himself up in the bathroom, and flushing the toilet, Gray went back into the room, he shut the light off and climbed into the bed next to his lover.

No sooner then Gray was comfortable he would get his own heater against his side. He smiled and wrapped his arms around Natsu as he joined him in sleep. Natsu woke up within a few hours of falling asleep, and smiled. He could feel the slight pulsing of the mark that had appeared on him from them finally coupling. Gray had one of his own somewhere. Natsu let his fingers trail along his lovers chin and chest before he yawned and fell back to sleep, dreaming of the possible future for the pair.

The sun shone through the curtains, the light hitting Gray right in his face. He groaned and buried his face deeper into Natsu's soft hair as he tried to fight off the urge to wake up due to the sun. Natsu let out a soft noise as Gray tightened his hold on him, he'd wake up about an hour later and smile to himself as he looked at the peaceful expression on Gray's face. He'd lean forward and press his warm lips to Gray's colder ones, he'd then wiggle his way out of Gray's arms before trying to stand, only to fall back onto his rump. "Ouch," Natsu muttered, before limping slowly to the bathroom. He'd wash his face, and brush his teeth before making his way back into the bedroom.

He'd find a pair of boxers, not his own, but they'd do, and he tugged them on they were a bit big, and kind of sagged on him, but for him to be able to prepare something for the two of them to eat he'd need something on other then his birthday suit. He laughed as he looked around the kitchen to see what Gray had. He found some pancake and waffle mix, as well as some simple vanilla ice cream. So he cooked up some pancakes, he rummaged in the fridge to see if there was anything to go with it, and he found some bacon and eggs, so he made a full meal out of it. Pancakes topped with ice cream, served with bacon and eggs.

When Gray awoke, he noted that he wasn't warm, which caused him to frown. He sat up and ran a hand through his hair as he took a look around the room. He'd then smell food and blink. He had no idea that Natsu could cook. He grabbed a pair of boxers from his dresser and slipped them on before he made his way into the kitchen. "Good morning Gray!" Natsu said. The dragon slayer had managed to get some of the pancake mix on the side of his face, which caused Gray to smile. "Good morning Natsu, I can't say when was the last time I actually had breakfast here at home," he chuckled. "The stuff was good right?" he asked.

"Yeah, my nose would have smelt if it was rotten," Natsu said with a smile. He placed the plates on the table. "I also made tea to go with breakfast," he finished. "Are those my boxers?" Gray asked as he finally caught sight of what Natsu was wearing. "Yeah, couldn't find mine. Made do with these ones," Natsu said. "They look good on you," Gray said. Natsu limped over to his lover and kissed him softly. "Was I too rough with you Natsu?" Gray asked. "N-no! Not at all, I'm just a little sore this morning, I'll be fine later," Natsu said, rubbing the back of his neck with a blush covering his cheeks. "If you need help, just tell me okay? I don't want you to be in too much pain," Gray said. "Well, I'll be okay, it's merely an ache now, it's not too bad," Natsu said.

Natsu sat down at the table with Gray and the two enjoyed their breakfast. "What should we do today?" Gray asked. "Well, we could always see about finding a job to do or something," Natsu said. Gray nodded. "Just the two of us, or the whole team?" he asked. "Depends on the job really, though I think Erza would want to come along to make sure we get the job done without destroying anything," Natsu said. "True, we should probably just find a team job then," Gray said with a chuckle. Natsu nodded. The two of them took individual showers and then got ready for the trip to the guild.

Natsu still had a slight limp, but it was barely noticeable by either of the boys. As they arrived at the guild, the master called them over. "Gray, Natsu I got this job request in this morning, it's located in one of the mountain towns, and it calls for a fire user and an ice user. Would you two be willing to do this job?" Makarov asked. He knew the two were very capable wizards, and that they would complete the job with hopefully little to no destruction. "What kind of job is it?" Natsu asked, after limping over to the master. "There's some monsters harassing the town, as well as a small group of weak dark wizards. The pay is a hefty amount, and you'd earn a home in the town to rest in when you felt like taking time off," Makarov said.

Gray looked at Natsu. "What do you think, should we?" He asked. Natsu nodded. "Yeah, it could be fun, plus we'd get to help a town out," he said. "Not to mention get a free house to stay at," Gray pointed out. "Alright, we'll do it," he said. Makarov smiled, he knew the two would protect one another during this mission, but he also knew they would get the job done. "Alright, I'll let the town know two of our strongest are on their way. The train ride there takes twelve hours, and you'll probably be there for a couple days. Do make sure you pack enough clothing. Happy can go along if you want, but the dark wizards might try to kidnap him and hold him for ransom," Makarov said.

Natsu nodded. "I'll ask him if he wants to come along," Natsu said. "Happy!" he called out. "Aye, sir!" Happy responded. "Come here little buddy!" he said. Happy then flew over to him. "Gray and I are going on a job that requires each of our elements, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come along, or if you'd rather stay here?" Natsu asked. "I'll stay here, the girls might need me later on or something," Happy said, Natsu nodded. "Alright, you take good care of them while we're gone. No letting another team steal them," Natsu said with a laugh. "Aye, sir! You can count on me!" Happy said, before he flew off back to Lucy and Erza.

"Shall we go pack and meet at the train station Gray?" Natsu asked. "Yeah, the sooner we get the job done, the sooner we can come home," Gray said. "Alright, we'll meet there in an hour?" Natsu asked. "Sounds good to me. See you there," Gray said, before leaning down and kissing Natsu, resulting in a surround sound of 'Aww!' as they kissed. Natsu would limp a bit, but walk mostly normal as he headed to his house. He'd grab his backpack and load it with all the things he'd need during the job. When Natsu arrived at the train station Gray was already there waiting. "Alright, shall we depart?" Gray asked with a grin.

"Sure thing Gray," Natsu said. The two of them then boarded the train for the twelve hour ride to the mountain town. Natsu simply cuddled against Gray's side as they rode the train. "You're my living motion sickness medication Gray," Natsu said with a laugh, as his cheeks flushed a light pink. The dragon slayer laid his head on his boyfriend's shoulder as the train moved along the path that would take them twelve hours to traverse. It went up, down and sometimes winding it's say around the hills and mountains on their way to the town the job was at. Natsu kept sneaking peeks at his boyfriend, laughing as he'd poke his arm, or his side.

Or simply Natsu would attempt to get a rise out of his boyfriend to no avail. Eventually, the pink haired youth would pout and go back to leaning against the ice make wizard to stare out the window as he watched the sky change hues, from light blue to a deeper shade, as well as some oranges and pinks. By the time the train arrived in the town the job was in it was pitch dark. "I guess we'll meet with the person who set the job offer out in the morning," Gray said. Natsu nodded. "Yeah, sounds good to me,"

The two set out to find the inn in the town, it was rather nice looking on the inside, but the outside left much to be desired. The boys simply paid for a room and went inside it. They shut the door and placed their things down. "I love you, Gray," Natsu said, his cheeks a deep crimson as he turned his head away. He was so shy, Gray loved it, because Natsu was only this cute around him. If anyone else ever saw it, Gray would knock them out, and if he didn't Natsu would he was sure of it.

The two changed into their bed clothes and climbed into the large bed, they lay on their respective sides of the bed as they went to sleep, but by the time the first rays of the sun were peeking through the blinds, the two would be curled up together in the middle of the bed. Natsu awoke first, he yawned and stretched the sheet falling off and revealing the many little bite marks Gray had left all over his neck the first night the two made love. When Natsu went into the bathroom to brush his teeth he saw the marks and blushed.

He was so glad he had his scarf to hide those, he did not want the girls to ask him personal questions about his sex life. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts Natsu would then make his way back into the room, where he'd strip off his dirty boxers and put a clean pair on before getting fully dressed. Rather then wake Gray up, Natsu decided it would be best for him to get them something to eat for breakfast, so he left the room and headed to the front desk. He knew some of the things Gray liked to eat so he'd get them, as well as some things he himself liked. Then he turned and headed back to the room. By the time he opened the door back up, Gray was awake and dressed. "Oh, there you are. I got worried for a bit there, but then I figured if something happened you would have made a lot of noise and I would have woke up," Gray said, a smile on his face as he spotted the food in his lovers arms.

The two ate pretty quickly. "Let's go talk to the mayor here, the one who sent in the job request. We can get a better idea of what we're up against," Gray said. "Sounds good to me, I just hope we get this done quickly. Something isn't sitting right with me," Natsu said. Gray nodded. "Alright, let's go," he said. The two stood up, threw their trash away and then headed out of the room. They locked the door behind them, then went to the mayors place. "Hello, we're the two Fairy Tail wizards who came for the job you put out, the one that required a fire user and an ice user," Gray said as they spoke to the mayor.

"Yes, we've been getting attacked by a small group of dark wizards, as well as some monsters," the mayor said. "What kind of monsters?" Natsu asked. "Some sort of lizard is what I was told," The mayor said. "Alright, what time do the dark wizards typically attack?" Gray asked. "They tend to show up around sunset, but they only come every few days. They'll probably be here tomorrow. So you can probably take care of the big lizards," the mayor said. The boys nodded. "Alright, where abouts are the lizards at typically?" Gray asked.

"They usually are right there in the woods near town, they harass the people going into the woods to go to the fishing pond," the mayor explained. "Alright, you can count on us, we'll get rid of your pest problems!" Natsu said, grinning. "We'll also keep you up to date," Gray said as the two stood. "We'll get to work now, the sooner the better no?" he finished. Gray and Natsu then left the house of the mayor. "Something seems funny to me Gray. Lizards attacking humans? Something isn't right here," Natsu said. "Do you want to contact the guild master to see if he has anything to say about this place?" Gray asked. "No, we'll do this job, and then we'll go home," Natsu said, but he couldn't seem to shake off the feeling of dread settling in his stomach.

Gray and Natsu made quick work of the monstrous lizards, they chased them away from the town, and made sure they steered clear of the path to the fishing pond. After they finished with that task, the two would head back to the mayor and let him know they'd dealt with the first part of the problem, there was a bit of charring and some holes from the ice lances, but the trees would live. So they withheld the information about the damages. They were so far out in the woods that it would be nearly impossible to find them anyway, plus nothing died, and nothing was obliterated.

After talking to the mayor, and eating a dinner fit for kings, the two boys made their way back to the room in the inn they were staying in. The two took individual showers as the woods had been rather filthy, and they felt that it would be best for them to bathe in the temperature they were comfortable doing so in. "I heard there is a hot spring here Natsu, want to relax in it before we go home?" Gray asked. "Sounds awesome to me," Natsu said in response, causing the other male to smile. "Alright, it's a date then. Once we deal with the dark wizards," Gray said. Natsu nodded, he climbed into bed and closed his eyes. "Good night Gray," he said. "Good night Natsu," Gray said, then he shut the light off. The feeling in the pit of his stomach didn't let up, but Natsu managed to stay asleep regardless. The feeling was still there in the morning, but he said nothing to Gray as the two woke up and ate had a few hours to burn before the dark wizards were supposed to appear and attack, so they took time to look around the town to see if they could find anything that one of their friends would like.

* * *

**To be continued. Hope this rewrite is as good as the original for you all.  
**


	7. Of Dark Wizards and Accidents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to see Gray and Natsu as they combat the dreaded Dark Wizards they were told about in the last chapter. How does this bode for our couple?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really do hope that none of this makes anyone cry. I would hate to cause someone to cry...though I guess some situations call for it.

**,Recap: G** _**ray said, then he shut the light off. The feeling in the pit of his stomach didn't let up, but Natsu managed to stay asleep regardless. The feeling was still there in the morning, but he said nothing to Gray as the two woke up and ate had a few hours to burn before the dark wizards were supposed to appear and attack, so they took time to look around the town to see if they could find anything that one of their friends would like.** _

* * *

"Hey Gray, look at this!" Natsu said as he spotted a simple short sword. "This looks like something Erza might like," he said. Gray laughed. "Yeah, she does love her weapons and armor," The two looked in various shops, Natsu found something he wanted for his house, as well as something for Happy. "Happy is going to love this!" Natsu said as he hugged the bag to his chest. Gray chuckled. "I wouldn't know, I'm not sure what sorts of things Happy likes," he said. "You'll learn in time I'm sure," Natsu said.

Despite all the name calling and all the fighting, the two wizards had somehow found time to fall in love. They held hands as they walked towards the inn to drop off the various gifts they'd bought for their friends. "Alright, it's about time for us to confront those dark wizards," Gray said. "Yeah, it's getting dark, and I've noticed a slight smell of something rancid, like darkness," Natsu said wrinkling his nose.

The two made their way out of the inn and back out into the town as the sunset. The colors the sky turned were even more vivid in the mountain then they'd been at the beach. "Our first kiss was when the sunset over the ocean," Natsu said a blush on his cheeks as he tried to hide his face in his scarf, which caused Gray to chuckle and shake his head. "You really are cute Natsu," he said, which caused the dragon slayer to growl and glare. "Hey now, you're only cute to me, and anyone else who says so will face my wrath," Gray finished, which caused Natsu to smile at his boyfriend.

"Well well, lookie here boys. It seems we've got ourselves some tourists who didn't know the rules on being indoors or being killed," One of the dark wizards said as they stopped in front of Natsu and Gray. Natsu stood like a normal person, as did Gray. "You want to kill us huh? Bring it on! I'm all fired up now!" Natsu said, a grin crossing his face as he ignited his fists. "Dark Jubilee: Twisted Rainbow!" One of the dark wizards called out, sending a reverse rainbow at Natsu and Gray.

"Ice Make: Shield!" Gray called out, erecting a shield in front of himself as well as Natsu, Gray kneeled down and nodded at Natsu, who jumped over the shield. He brought one of his fists down on the dark wizards head. "Fire Dragons Iron Fist!" he called, sending the guy flying into his buddies, the sheer force at which Natsu punched caused them to all tumble back a few paces. "Ice Make: Lance!" Gray called out, a flurry of ice lances flew at the enemies. "Fire Dragon ROAR!" Natsu called out, dropping into the stance as his fire breath hit two of the guys head on. "Ice Make Sword: Seven Slash Dance!" Gray cried out, as he began using ice arm blades to combat an enemy. "Fire Dragon Flame Elbow!" Natsu yelled, using his fire to make his punch hit another even harder, rendering them unconscious.

"Wood Style: Topsy Turvy!" one of the enemies called out, the spell hit Natsu which caused him to begin spinning as if on a ride, which of course brought the poor dragon slayer to his knees. Gray spotted him and growled. "Ice-Make Floor! Ice-Make: Wall!" He called out, the floor causing the guy to slip and fall, he slammed head first into the solid ice wall, and he was out. The spell he'd cast on Natsu wore off, dropping Natsu to the ground where he dry heaved a few times. "I hate that!" he panted out.

"Prism: Fire!" One called out, hitting Natsu with it. "Looks like pinkie is out for the count," he said cockily, but not before one of his partners tugged his arm. "Now I've got a fire in my belly," Natsu said after he swallowed the flames. "Fire Dragon Wing Attack!" he cried out, nailing two of the three guys still standing. "Ice Make: Knuckle!" Gray called out, hitting the third guy with the spell. "Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!" Natsu called out, his and Gray's final attacks wiped out the remaining enemies and the two grinned.

"I'll wait here, go get the authorities Natsu," Gray said. "Alright, be back in a few," Natsu said, he went off to the town to gather the authorities to arrest the dark wizards. Natsu led the men to the clearing the fight had taken place in after the enemies had been blasted back by Natsu's initial attack. "Thank you, you two can go to your room now, talk to the mayor in the morning," the lead of the authorities said. Natsu and Gray nodded, then headed back into the town to get a good nights rest.

"That was fun," Natsu said. Gray chuckled. "Yeah, it actually was," he said. Natsu grinned. "This was a fun job, we got to do it together, and we didn't wreck the whole town, or the woods," Natsu said. Gray chuckled, then he realized Natsu was right. "Wow, we actually successfully completed a job without going overboard," he said, shaking his head and laughing. "I wonder if the times we went overboard was because unconsciously we were trying to impress one another, and now that we're dating we don't have to anymore," Natsu said, his face scrunched up a bit as he thought.

"That is entirely possible, but I think we mainly went overboard because it was fun," Gray said. Natsu laughed a bit. "Yeah, we did overdo it a lot didn't we?" he asked as they headed into the room in the inn they were staying in. "Yeah, they were fun times though," Gray said, which caused Natsu to smile.

"So, I remembered something you said to me before Natsu, back at Galuna island," Gray said, Natsu looked at him and tilted his head to the side. "What was it I said?" he asked. "You said 'I stopped you then because I didn't want you to die. Didn't my voice reach you?'" Gray said. "I meant it, Gray," Natsu said. "I didn't want you to die. I didn't know at the time I was doing it because you were my mate, but I don't regret standing in front of you and I don't regret stopping you twice," he finished.

"After Galuna is when I started seeing you in a different light, but I kept it to myself. The feelings grew stronger and stronger the more often we had to share a single bed, or your tent," Gray admitted. "I started having dreams of someone with your scent," Natsu said. "I didn't know at the time it was you, it was before I was close enough to actually smell your scent beneath the cologne and cigarette smoke on you," Natsu laughed. "Well, I quit smoking awhile ago actually," Gray admitted.

"I know, I smell you now, not cigarettes. Though the scent never really bothered me," Natsu said, which caused Gray to smile. "Well, let's get cleaned up and head to bed, we can go home tomorrow," Gray said. "Sounds good, though I do want to visit those hot springs you mentioned before we go, as long as it's not too much trouble of course," Natsu said. "Oh yeah, I forgot about those. We'll head there before we board the train, we'll take the evening train, so we get to Magnolia in the morning," Gray said.

"Alright, well I call dibs on the first shower!" Natsu said with a laugh as he got up and headed to the bathroom. He stripped out of his clothing but folded it as he always had before climbing into the shower. He made sure the water was nice and hot as it hit his skin. He let out a soft groan as the hot water worked on the areas of his body that ached slightly. He washed up rather quickly despite having wanted to take a nice long hot shower, mainly because he knew Gray needed a shower as well, and he didn't want to be greedy, nor did he want his boyfriend sneaking into the shower behind him, they'd likely never get clean that way!

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Natsu finished washing up before he turned the water off and used his own fire to dry off. "Shower is all yours Gray," Natsu said as he walked back into the room with a towel slung low on his hips. He'd forgotten to grab a pair of boxers before he entered the shower. "Alright, I'll be out in a few minutes then," Gray said, the ice make user was already in his boxers when Natsu emerged from the shower, and Gray took his boxers off at the door, before even walking into the bathroom. Despite the fact that the two had been naked together many times, Natsu couldn't help but blush.

Natsu pulled a pair of boxers out from his bag and slipped them on. He then laid down on the bed and waited for his lover to finish showering. After ten minutes the ice wizard exited the bathroom, water still running down his chest and along his abs, which caused Natsu to lick his lips. Gray had a towel on his head and nothing else. He was towel drying his hair as he walked over to his bag and pulled a pair of boxers on. Once his hair was dry enough he slung the towel over the back of one of the many chairs in the room. He laid next to Natsu on the bed.

"I'm surprised you're not already asleep Natsu," he chuckled. "I was waiting for you because I want a good night kiss," Natsu said with a blush on his face, which caused Gray to chuckle. "Alright," he said, leaning over and pressing his lips to Natsu's. The two got under the covers, shut the light off and fell asleep. By morning Natsu was cuddled against Gray's side, with Grays' arm slung over his waist. They didn't need to be up early for anything, so the two actually managed to sleep in, if sleeping until eight o'clock was considered sleeping in. They got up and got ready to check out, they packed up their bags and left the room. They stopped by a restaurant and had breakfast, then headed to the mayor's house.

"Welcome Fairy Tail Wizards, and thank you for your work. You not only got rid of the monstrous lizards but the dark wizards as well! As promised here is your jewel payment as well as the keys to a house here in town for your use," the mayor said, a smile ever present on his face as he gave the boys their rewards. "Thank you, we'll be leaving town on the evening train, take care," Gray said as he stood up. Natsu stood up and left with Gray. "Let's go to the hot spring now," Gray said. "Okay!" Natsu said, he was excited naturally, the hot springs were something he always loved. They headed over to where they were and paid to get in, like in other towns.

The two wore their swim trunks inside the springs, so as to not be tempted. They soaked for a good long few hours before the rumbling of their stomachs caused them to leave. They were both invigorated and rejuvenated from the soak, the minerals and everything in the water worked all the kinks out of their muscles and they could really relax. They headed to a small cafe to get a simple sandwich for dinner before they got on the train. Natsu decided to lay on Gray's lap, to let his boyfriend run his fingers through his hair for the ride. Secretly Natsu really loved that attention, he also loved the feeling of Gray's cold fingers on his scalp. He let out a content sound as the train moved. The sun had set already, and the light was growing darker. The fact that they were on a train, in the evening one no less didn't really seem to affect the boys. They were together, and that's all that mattered to the two of them.

Gray nodded off about an hour after the train started moving, and a few minutes after Natsu had. The two were smiling as they slept, but the happiness they were feeling was but a fleeting feeling as time went on. The train to Magnolia kept moving forward, the ups and downs not affecting either of the sleeping riders as they were content, suddenly the sound of screams and the smell of smoke roused the dragon slayer. He frowned and sat up, but the train suddenly lurched, sending him flying into the window, he hit his head pretty hard. He clutched his stomach as he tried to figure out what was going on. Gray woke up when he heard Natsu groan.

"Natsu, you're bleeding," Gray said. "Something's wrong Gray, I smell smoke," Natsu said. Gray jumped up, if Natsu could smell smoke then something was going on. The sounds of screams were heard from the car in front of them, which happened to be near the engine room. "Shit! I've gotta do something Gray!" Natsu said, his vision was swimming slightly, but he kept moving towards the other car. "I'll come to, maybe my ice can help combat whatever you can't eat," Gray said, he knew Natsu was going to try to eat the fire because it would help the train. "Alright, let's move," Natsu said, his movements were slow, but it was mostly due to the fact that he'd just woke up.

He groaned as he popped his neck. The two made it into the car in front of them, and Natsu inhaled, devouring some of the flames. "Go! Get out of the car while the fire is dying down!" One of the train people was yelling at the confused people. "Who are you two?" he demanded. "We're wizards from Fairy Tail, and Natsu here is going to eat as much of the fire as he can to help out, and I'll be using ice on whatever I can to help as well," Gray said. The guy nodded. "Thanks, be careful!" he said, the people in the car evacuated to the one Gray and Natsu had come from, leaving the two to do whatever they needed to help the train.

The boys had sent a message saying they'd be taking the evening train back to Magnolia, so the guild wouldn't get worried. The mayor of the town had already called and said they'd finished the job without destroying anything, much to the relief of Makarov. The blood kept running off the back of Natsu's head as he devoured more and more of the fire, Gray tried to keep his mind off of the injury. He knew Natsu would be fine, he believed in him. They eventually got the fire to go out, but that was the least of their problems it seemed. As soon as the fire was completely out, the sound of screeching metal caught their ears. The noise caught Natsu off guard, he covered his ears, what happened next happened too fast for either of them to realize.

The car they were in flipped to the side, sending Natsu flying. He hit a metal bar really hard, the sound of something going crunch, and his scream echoed through the car, and all Gray could do was watch in horror as Natsu collapsed into a heap on the floor, blood oozing from his head even faster now, as well as a new cut along his arm. As soon as Gray could he rushed to the dragon slayers side to check his pulse, he let out a sigh of relief as he felt one.

"S-Shit..." Natsu groaned, he was awake, but he was really woozy. "G-Gray..." he said, reaching out for the other. Gray checked Natsu for any spinal injury, and found none, as he leaned down to pick Natsu up, the sound of an explosion rang through. Grays' eyes widened as he felt himself falling backward from a push on his chest. "NATSSUUUUUU!" He screamed as the car he'd been pushed from exploded. "NATSUUUU!" he screamed again, tears in his eyes as he fell to his knees. He dry heaved as his eyes saw the fire raging inside the car.

Natsu had used the last of his strength to push his boyfriend out of the car, he could feel the pressure in the air changing and growing hotter, he knew the engine was about to blow, so he did what he felt was the right thing, he pushed the man he loved out of harms way. The fireball that ensued as the engine exploded dissipated rather quickly, as Natsu breathed shallowly, he swallowed as much as he could, but it proved to be too much for him and he lost consciousness shortly after, but he had heard Gray calling for him, he lifted his hand and held it up for a moment, the symbol of Fairy Tail.

"N-Natsu..." Gray said as he saw the symbol that meant no matter how far apart they were, they'd always be watching one another. It was the last thing Gray saw before another explosion rocked the train, all but demolishing the other car. By this point Gray had tears flowing down his face, the door had melted shut from the heat from the initial explosion, but it didn't stop him from punching it repeatedly, all while screaming Natsu's name over and over. Natsu had succumbed to his injuries and passed out before the second explosion happened. Natsu was flung so hard into the window, that he went through it and slammed into a tree.

It took an hour for the medics to show up, to Gray it felt like an eternity, and he vaguely noticed that he had something in his hand. He looked and noticed it was Natsu's scarf, the one he never took off. The medics made sure to take Natsu first, he's the only one who was even injured. Gray was a mess, after the whole fiasco, he decided it would be better for him to walk back to Magnolia. They were about an hour away by train, but after that, he didn't want to see a train for some time. He wrapped Natsu's scarf around his neck and shoved his hands into his pockets. It took him three hours by foot to walk to Magnolia, and by the time he showed up at the guild, they'd already all found out about Natsu.

Mira gasped as she saw the state Gray was in. "He'll be okay Gray, it's Natsu. He can survive anything," she said, trying to comfort him. Gray simply shrugged off her comment, he sat at a table and stared at it. He didn't want to talk to anyone, nor did he feel like interacting with them, not until he knew Natsu was going to be alright. "They're moving Natsu to the infirmary here, and Master Makarov has gone to fetch Porylusica-san," Lucy said to Erza. "I want to know what happened to that train, nothing like this has ever happened before," Erza said.

Two men entered the guild, carrying a stretcher between them, they spoke to Mira who told them to go upstairs and to the first door on the left, a few minutes later Porylusica and Makarov entered the guild hall as well, they headed straight to the infirmary to check on Natsu. "You should go see him you know..." Lucy said to Gray, who simply grunted. "Gray, we know you're hurt, hell all of us are, but you were there...plus you're his mate. If there's any time someone like Natsu needs you, it's now," Loke said, trying to reason with his friend.

"If you don't go up there Gray, I'll drag you there by your shorts," Erza threatened. Gray sighed and stood up, he kept Natsu's scarf on, the scent of his boyfriend bringing a smile to his face as he headed to the infirmary. He stood outside the open door until Makarov turned around. "Come to see how he's doing Gray?" He asked, Gray simply nodded. "He's alive, but his body is severely damaged, his magic saved him from getting any burns, but he's in a coma," Porylusica said. _'Coma...he's in a coma...a coma...coma.'_ the word repeated itself inside Gray's mind over and over again. "H-He'll wake up right?" he asked, his voice sounded small, even to himself. Where was the cocky ice stripper Natsu had grown to love?

"Only time will tell Gray, his body probably did this as a means to heal. Give it some time, I'm sure everything will work out," Makarov said. Gray sniffled as more tears threatened to fall. He walked over to Natsu's bedside. "Natsu...wake up soon.." he started, his chest constricting as he caught sight of the breathing machine and various needles in his lover's arm. The usually vibrant man that lay there, skin pale and chilly.

It felt unnatural to Gray. He was the cold one, not Natsu. Gray leaned over and pressed his lips to Natsu's cheek before he turned to leave the room. "I'm going home...I'll come by tomorrow," he said, Makarov nodded. Gray then turned and left the room, he headed downstairs and then left the guild hall. No one tried to stop him, they could fill the chill surrounding him and it made them all cringe slightly. He was never one to show his emotions, but when he got with Natsu he all but wore them on his sleeve, and now...with Natsu being in a coma he'd have to find something to occupy himself until he awoke.

The next morning, Gray went back to the guild. He was wearing Natsu's scarf again. He headed directly up to Natsu's room in the infirmary and sat in a chair he pulled to the side of the bed. "Natsu, I love you. Come back to me soon..I-I don't think...no I can't live without you," he said, tears threatening to fall, but he wouldn't let them. "S-Stupid flame brain...why did you do that...why didn't you just come with me?" he asked. Natsu looked so peaceful on the bed, his pink hair splayed on the pillow. The only thing showing he was in a coma were the various machines hooked up to him, and the fact that he had bandages wrapped around his forehead.

Happy had heard about the accident and came barreling into the room. The poor exceed was sobbing, he clung to Gray as the two looked at Natsu. "Once he heals, I bet he'll be all fired up...raring to go," Gray said. Happy nodded. "I want to do something for him when he wakes up," he said. "Oh, what do you want to do Happy?" Gray asked. "Well...his birthday is in a couple months, so I want everyone to get together and throw him a party. He's always been on a job on his birthday, so we've never had a party here for him," Happy said. "If we start planning now, and he wakes up before his birthday, we can have two huge celebrations! Lots of fish!" he finished. Gray stood up and leaned over to kiss Natsus cheek again. "I'll see you tomorrow Natsu. I love you," he said, Natsu heard him of course, you can hear most things going on around you when you're comatose.

* * *

Gray was really down for awhile, but he always made time to visit Natsu. The guild members all visited him, there were get well gifts, balloons, and flowers all over the room. Gray did something that surprised Erza as well as the rest of the guild members. He put his necklace, the one he never took off, on Natsu. "Wake up soon," Lucy said as she placed a small thing of cinnamon chocolates next to the bed. After a few weeks, Gray eventually needed to pay rent.

"Do you guys want to do a job? I need to pay my rent, and I know Lucy does as well," Gray asked, he didn't want to leave but he kind of had to. "Aye!" Happy said. "Sure Gray," Lucy said. "I'd be happy to come along Gray," Erza said. So with that, Team Natsu without Natsu headed out on a job to eradicate a dark guild that had sprung up a few miles away. After the traumatic event that Gray went through the last time he rode the train, the girls had to let him know it would be alright. Sorcerer Weekly went crazy with pictures of Gray wearing Natsu's scarf, despite his stripping habit it was the one article of clothing he never took off. He'd wind up walking around in boxers and the scarf.

Eventually, the guild went back to almost being normal, as if the shining light that was Natsu was there with them. Well he was, he was just in a coma. They always went to visit, and even Wendy helped to heal him a bit, to hopefully expedite the process of him awakening. Every day Gray would visit Natsu, and every night before he'd go home to go to bed he'd say goodnight to his boyfriend.

"Wake up soon flame breath..." Gray said before leaving the room one night. The next morning when he visited, the respirator that had been helping Natsu breathe had been removed. "His body has healed enough that he's breathing on his own finally," Porylusica said as Gray asked her. "Oh, does that mean he'll wake up soon?" Gray asked hopefully. "I can't say for certain, but he's out of the danger zone now, so shoo. Let me do my work," she said. Gray sighed and left the room as Porylusica worked on Natsu.

A few more weeks went by and Natsu's body was recovering by leaps and bounds, but he was still in a coma. Natsu's hair had grown a few inches while he was 'sleeping', it was messier, but it looked good on him Gray thought, he'd probably ask Natsu to keep his hair a bit longer than normal because it was sexy. Gray smiled, in a few weeks time Natsu's birthday was coming up. Everyone was hoping the dragon slayer would wake up before that so the party they had planned for him would go well. "How is he?" Makarov asked Porylusica. "He's healing magnificently, but I can't say for certain whether or not he's going to have memory issues," she said honestly. Makarov nodded. "I see, well we'll do everything we have to, to help him remember should he have trouble," Makarov said, Porylusica simply shook her head.

"He shouldn't need the constant watch anymore, but I'll stay here to keep a close eye on him in case he wakes up," Porylusica said. "Alright, well I have to report to the council, apparently Erza went overboard and demolished half a town again," Makarov chuckled. With that he left, leaving Porylusica alone to heal Natsu some more. Team Natsu was the people who visited Natsu the most, then there was Wendy and Charla, plus Gajeel, who actually surprised people when he visited, he picked up something for Natsu that was in one of the many gifts that were strewn about the room as the Salamander healed.

Juvia could tell Gray was hurting inside, so being the girl she was, she tried to help him, only to fail miserably, but she did manage to get him to smile. Everyone was working hard to keep Natsu and Happy's house paid for, but after a month and a half hey simply helped Happy move all his and Natsu's things to Gray's house. "Are you sure this is okay Gray?" Lucy asked as she put a box of Natsu's things down. "Yeah, I was going to ask him to move in with me soon anyway, this will just make it easier," Gray said.

Lucy nodded. After everything was moved in, Gray and Happy unpacked it all in the second bedroom he had in his house. Just in case Natsu had amnesia. It hurt to think about that being a possibility because Gray already knew he couldn't live without Natsu, and it would kill him if he lost him to amnesia. "There," Happy said, he'd made the room look just like Natsu's old bedroom had, even with the various clutter. "Natsu won't forget us, he's too hard headed," he said as he saw Gray. "I can tell you were thinking about it again, but you know his memories of you and him are in that mark on you," he finished. "Yeah...you're right Happy," Gray said. After they finished unpacking everything Gray and Happy went to the guild to visit Natsu.

Natsu was still unconscious when they visited, but Gray held his hand anyway. He felt Natsu's fingers twitch and smiled a bit. His love was fighting, he was fighting to come back to them. "How is the patient doing?" Porylusica asked Gray as she walked in with the lacrimas to ease the rest of the healing process. "His fingers twitched when I held his hand," Gray said. "That's a good sign, he might wake up soon," Porylusica said.

"Alright, good night Natsu, I love you," Gray said, before leaning down and pressing his lips to those of Natsu. Some of Natsu's natural warmth had begun coming back, and it made Gray's heart soar, knowing his Natsu was healing. Happy and Gray then exited the room and went home. "I hope he wakes up soon!" Happy said. "Me too Happy, I know everyone else wants him back too," Gray said. "Aye!" Happy said with a giggle as he flew around. The two walked into the house that used to be Gray's alone, but now it felt like a home. Something a family could live in. There was a warmth deep under the chill that was always there, and it was all due to one dragon slayer who was in a coma.

* * *

**Posting these after I finish proofreading them a second and third time through.  
**


	8. Of Bandits and Idols

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsu is recovering nicely, and then the team goes on a job.
> 
> Some interesting things develop and are revealed in this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm enjoying this rewire more than I probably should. Seeing as I was a few years younger and worse at English when I wrote this originally, I think it's improving quite a bit.

**Recap:** _**"Me too Happy, I know everyone else wants him back too," Gray said. "Aye!" Happy said with a giggle as he flew around. The two walked into the house that used to be Gray's alone, but now it felt like a home. Something a family could live in. There was a warmth deep under the chill that was always there, and it was all due to one dragon slayer who was in a coma.** _

* * *

There were two weeks left before Natsu's birthday, everyone in the guild was hoping that he would wake up before, so they could all celebrate for his birthday, as well as for his recovery. They also hoped that he didn't have any memory problems because they know it would kill Gray to lose him so soon after finally getting him, and no one wanted to see that happen. Erza went to visit Natsu alone one day. "Natsu, you need to hurry and wake up, Happy misses you, and it's killing Gray to see you like this. He puts up a good front, but I know him, and I can tell he's hurting. You need to come back to him, to us. We all miss you," Erza said. Natsu wasn't on any form of life support system or magic any longer, his body had recovered to the point where he didn't need them, now all that was needed was for him to wake up. "Come back to us Natsu. I know you can pull through, everyone in Fairy Tail believes in you," she finished before turning and heading out of the infirmary room.

After the sun had set Lisanna made her way into Natsu's room. "Hey Natsu, it's me...Lisanna. You know, everyone misses you. Even Laxus, and we all know that guy doesn't miss anyone..." she started. "I heard after Laxus found out about you, he went on a job with the Thunder God Tribe, and someone commented on the random lightning...Freed said something about it being common here in Magnolia, for the weather to be 'Sunny, with a chance of Laxus.'" She'd giggle. "I thought you might like to know that, even though he always acted so mean towards you, Laxus cares for you, just as he cares for everyone else in the guild. Gray really misses you, as does Happy. You really need to come home...Natsu," she finished, before she turned and left the room.

Gray entered the room about twenty minutes after Lisanna had vacated. "Hey Natsu," he started. "It's been so weird since you've been sleeping for so long," he said, the pain in his voice would be obvious had there been anyone there listening. Natsu's facial expression changed while Gray was there, from a plain sleeping face to that of a smile, and his hand twitched. Gray gasped and fetched Porylusica. "He smiled and his hand twitched again," he said, the excitement clear in his voice. Porylusica nodded. "Give me a moment to check him over. I'll see if he's awakening or not," she said. Gray nodded and stood outside the room. Porylusica would come out of the room roughly fifteen minutes later. "He's not yet awake, but he's getting closer," she explained. "I'll say good night, and head home for the night, sorry that I bothered you," Gray said. Porylusica simply shook her head and headed back into the room she'd been staying in since Natsu first arrived at the guilds infirmary. Gray walked back into the room and looked at the unconscious form of his lover. "Sleep well Natsu. I love you," he said before leaving the room, and heading home. He and Happy had a nice dish of sushi, then the two went to bed.

* * *

**The Next Morning**

* * *

"Hey Gray, my rent is due soon, do you think we can go on a job?" Lucy asked as soon as the ice make wizard made it to the guild. "Sure, what job do you have in mind?" he asked. "I think we should do this one! It pays a lot, and it shouldn't be too hard," Lucy said as she held up a flyer. Gray looked over the flyer. "Looks easy enough, Erza, Happy you two going to come along as well?" he asked.

"Aye, sir!" Happy called out, causing Gray to shake his head and laugh. "Of course I am Gray," Erza said. "Alright, we'll meet at the train station in an hour," she said, before getting up and walking out of the guild hall to her place to get her luggage. "Alright, meet you guys there!" Lucy said before she ran to her place and packed a bag. Gray simply shook his head at the two. He still walked around wearing Natsu's scarf, and his necklace was still on Natsu. Hopefully if by chance Natsu woke up while they were gone he'd remember things with the help of the necklace.

Gray smiled as he and Happy headed to the house to gather their things for the trip. After they grabbed their bags, they headed to the train station. Surprisingly enough Lucy was already there waiting, of course, they'd be waiting on Erza, the one who had so much luggage it took an entire train car by itself. Gray chuckled at the thought. "What's so funny Gray?" Lucy asked. "Just thinking about Erzas luggage, and how it probably takes an entire train car by itself," he answered. "Ahh, well yeah she does have a lot..." Lucy said as Erza appeared on the top of the hill with her massive amount of luggage right behind her.

Gray shook his head, once everyone was gathered they boarded the train, it was a miracle that Erza didn't knock any of the train attendants out this time. Gray was still wary of trains of the freak accident that caused Natsu to go into a coma, but he endured the rides to make the jobs they took outside of Magnolia and it's really close areas much easier to reach. "Gray, I can tell you're thinking about it again, you should stop," Erza said from across the seat from him. "I can't help it, after what happened to Natsu..." he said, causing Erza to sigh. "It was a train malfunction, and they've all been tested to make sure nothing like that happens again," Erza said. "I know, but until Natsu is back in my arms, I'm going to be like this," Gray admitted, causing Lucy to 'Aww.' which made him cringe a bit. Erza chuckled at his grimace, and she shook her head. Happy simply stared out the window before falling asleep.

The trio, plus cat made it to the town pretty quickly, it was only two hours by train from Magnolia. "So what exactly are we doing here again?" Gray asked. "Well, the job flyer said it was to help someone find something they lost that is of great importance to them," Lucy said. "They're willing to pay us over five hundred thousand jewel," she finished. Gray nodded. "Alright, so it's a seek and recover mission, shouldn't be too hard," he said. "Aye!" Happy said.

The trio and cat went to see the client. "Hello, we're the Fairy Tail wizards who took the job you put up, we're here to get the information that we need to be able to find your lost item," Erza said. "Oh my, I wasn't expecting so many of you for this job, well I guess it can't be helped then, come inside," the woman at the door said, she stood to the side and allowed them all to enter her home. "We're a team, madam. That's why there are a few of us," Erza said, smiling at her teammates. Gray and Happy stood off to the side as the woman talked about her missing item. "It's a family heirloom, my family claims it helps with fertility and wealth," she explained. "I'm not sure if it's true or not, but here's what the item looks like. Some bandits stole it out of my backyard," she finished.

Erza looked at the item. "That does look worth a lot, do you have any idea where the bandits may have gone after they took it?" she asked. "I can't be certain, but there's an old abandoned church in the forest outside of town. The people here used to worship the goddess of fertility there before the trees began growing inside the building," the woman explained. "Alright, we'll go out, retrieve the item and return it to you as soon as we can. We'll also stop the bandits, and give them to the authorities," Erza said, clapping her metal gauntlets together.

"We're on the job," Gray said. "Aye!" Happy said. Lucy giggled a bit and shook her head. The group then headed out. "If we begin our search now, we might complete the job before nightfall," Erza said. "What are we waiting for then? Let's go!" Lucy said, and with that, the group set off into the forest to check the old abandoned church for the bandits. As the group neared the church they'd not see anything on the outside. The foliage of the forest had grown so thick Gray had to use an ice sword and Erza one of her many weapons to chop various branches down to get out of their path so they could keep moving forward.

The group kept an eye out as they chopped, for a side path or something showing that there may be someone inside the church. "It'd be so easy if Natsu was here..." Happy whispered sadly. "He'd be able to smell if there was anyone here..." he finished. "Yeah, but he's not," Lucy said, frowning. "Let's just keep going, I'm sure we'll be home soon, and you can go see him," Erza said, not at all sounding like the hard ass she was believed to be. Truthfully, Team Natsu seemed strange, almost alien without their namesake. The pink haired dragon slayer was one in a million, and they were all lucky he chose them to be part of his team, even if Erza was the one who initially forced them to all be together in the first place.

"There's a path there, look!" Happy whispered as he pointed off to the right side of the church. "You're right. Lucy, Gray, let's go!" Erza said and with that, the group snuck over to the path. "Quick, happy look inside the window and see if you can see anything," Lucy said. "Aye!" Happy said, before flying up and looking through the window. Inside the church, it was run down, all but falling apart. "I don't see anything in the big room, but there's a door off to the back that seems to have a huge hole in it," Happy said. "Shall we go back to town and think of a plan, or should we just do what we always do?" Lucy asked.

"It might be easier if we get the drop on them now," Erza said. "Yeah, plus Natsu would have run in there already," Gray said with a chuckle as he thought about his hot-headed lover back at the guild. "Alright, I'll head in first, everyone else come in after me. We'll get this done quick, and hopefully without any injuries," Erza said. "Aye!" Happy said. "Alright, let's do this!" Lucy said. Gray nodded as they all headed towards the door. Erza took initiative and grabbed one of her many weapons. The group cautiously made their way inside, as soon as they crossed the threshold into the pews Erza threw caution to the wind and took off towards the door in the back.

"Erza!" Lucy called out before she could stop herself. She slapped her hands over her mouth as Gray and Happy also took off after Erza, with Lucy at the back. The group split into two smaller groups, Erza with Lucy and Gray with Happy as they took either side of the church to search. The girls went upstairs, and Gray went into the basement. After about an hour of searching the group came up empty handed, they all sighed and turned to leave, before the wall in front of them in the hall abruptly fell down. "Gray! Happy!" Lucy and Erza called out as they were cut off from the two.

There was suddenly clapping from behind the girls, who spun around. "Good job finding this place girls, but that's really too bad about your friends," he grinned, his unnaturally sharpened teeth gleaming in the low light coming from the windows. "What have you done with Gray and Happy!?" Erza demanded, causing the man to simply laugh. "That's easy...they're on the other side of the wall," he chuckled. As the man was laughing Erza took the time to re-quip into her Heavens Wheel Armor and engaged him. Lucy used her whip to try to help. After a short battle, the man was defeated, and the wall rose again. "Are you guys okay!?" Happy asked. "We heard the sounds of combat but we couldn't move!" he finished. "We're fine, I think the idol is somewhere in this place now. The fact that, this guy was here means there's something hidden here," Erza said.

So the groups each went back to searching. Gray and Happy eventually found something odd at the pedestal where the words of the god or goddess would be spoken about. "Ynera Goddess of Fertility and Prosperity?" Gray read, he noticed something that looked like a switch, or handle and touched it. The podium would split and there would be a set of stairs that led down. Gray nodded at Happy, who flew off to grab the girls. "What's this?" Erza asked. "It looks like a hidden passageway," Gray said. "Aye," Happy responded.

After the group tested the stairs with various hunks of ice they made their way down into the partial darkness. As their eyes adjusted the group would take turns looking around. "This place gives me the creeps," Lucy said. "It does have the vibe of something from one of those vampire books," Gray chuckled. Lucy glared at him. "Shh!" Erza said they reached a clearing of sorts, there was a statue in the middle of the floor. As the candles lit themselves the group would come face to face with the missing idol from the town.

"Well, we found it, now how do we get it out of here?" Lucy asked. "We can use my requip to move it maybe," Erza said. "It might be too bulky for that," Gray said. "Why don't you summon up something to carry it on, Gray?" Lucy asked. "We don't know what it's made out of," Erza pointed out. "It could just melt his ice," she finished.

"Erza's right," Gray said. "We could try to move it ourselves too though," Erza said. "Well, if that guy carried it down here, it can't be too heavy right?" Lucy asked. "We'll find out I'm sure," Gray said, so the group headed towards the idol. As they got near it, the thing got smaller and smaller. Eventually, it was the size of a hammer. "Well, I guess that's how he moved it here," Lucy said.

"It's so small. How come it looked so big before we got to it?" she asked. "Probably magnification magic," Gray said. "It's a type of rune magic, right?" Erza asked. "Yeah, at least I think so," Gray said. "I read about it when I was younger," he finished. The group picked up the idol and placed it in Happy's backpack. "It's really light," Happy said as he flew around. With that, and the man who was tied up in the hall the group made their way out of the forest and back to the town.

Erza headed to the authorities of the town and told them about the man, as well as the path with which the group had made it to the church on. Then the group made their way to the woman who sent out the job request. They returned her idol to her yard and then stayed and talked for a while. "I've never prayed to the idol myself, but if you wish to you may any time," she told the group. "Thank you," Erza said. The woman had paid them the jewel and the group headed out. The job had taken all day, they hadn't even noticed the sunset.

"We'll stay in town until tomorrow, then we'll go home," Erza said. Everyone nodded. "Since it's just the three of us, and this town kind of gives us all the creeps, we'll get a single room with two beds," Erza said. "Aye, sir!" Happy said. With that, they made their way to the nearby inn. Erza paid for the room, and then the group made their way inside it.

* * *

**Back in Magnolia**

* * *

Porylusica kept checking on Natsu, but she hadn't seen any change in him. His hands still twitched, and his facial expressions changed, but he still made no move to awaken. She had been worried about the possibility of there being permanent damage to the dragon slayer, due to how cold he'd been upon his arrival, but since his body temperature was back to normal she felt he was going to make a full recovery. After changing the bags on him and taking his vitals she'd then exit the room.

The guild was going on with its day to day business, taking jobs, picking fights and being generally rambunctious and loud. Makarov headed to speak to Porylusica about Natsu. "How is the patient doing today?" He asked. "I'm confused, his body is fully healed outwardly, and I can't find anything wrong using the lacrima, I just can't figure out why he's not awakened by now," She said with a frown. "Well it is Natsu, there's probably nothing wrong," Makarov said. "You say that..but I can tell you're worried for him, you're worried for the child that you've known since July 7, 777," Porylusica said.

"You're right, but we have to believe in him, he'll come home to us on his own," Makarov said. "I bet it'd be a great surprise to have him awake when the rest of his team gets back from their job," he finished. "I'll keep watching him, I go to check on him every few hours," Porylusica said. "Thank you," Makarov said. "I'm not doing this for you Makarov," Porylsica growled. Makarov simply walked away shaking his head. He didn't really blame his old friend for being so anti-social. He really couldn't. He was just glad that she was there to take care of Natsu as he was recovering. A frown marred Makarovs face as he thought of Natsu. _'Just why aren't you up and about yet Natsu?'_ he shook his head and headed to his place for the night.

* * *

**3:39 a.m. Both Locations**

* * *

Natsu groaned, his throat hoarse and dry from the time he was unconscious. He vaguely heard the beeping and mechanical sounds of the machines that he was connected to. He frowned as he tried to look around, but he seemed to be having trouble. His eyelids were heavy, and he was having a bit of trouble moving them, as well as any other part of his body, after about fifteen minutes of struggling he passed back out into blissful unconsciousness.

At roughly 4 a.m. Gray awoke to feel the mark on his neck pulse, the warmth that seeped into him made him think of Natsu, and a smile crossed his face. He didn't dwell on it much, as he was much too tired at the time, and he fell back asleep. Erza and the others roused bright and early, roughly two hours after Gray fell back to sleep thinking of his dragon slayer, a smile on his face. Happy roused Gray as he knew how from living with him for the time he had, and then the group all made their way to the nearby cafe to eat something before they'd head back to Magnolia. They all ate a relatively normal breakfast before they headed out.

"That was a really easy job, almost too easy," Lucy said. Erza shrugged. "When people steal things, they're not usually very good at keeping them hidden, this is a fact that over all the years we've been through a lot, and we've found many a great 'lost' item or object," Erza explained. Gray nodded. "She's right, we've had it hard the past years, now that we're all adults it's probably just stray thoughts, Lucy, you have nothing to worry about. All we need to do it get home now," Gray said.

Erza smiled. "Yeah, besides, the one we're all really worried about is still sleeping back in Magnolia!" Happy chimed in. "Of course, Natsu hasn't left any of our hearts or minds this entire time. Aside from when we needed to focus, but then again he helped us even then. Despite not being here physically, his personality has rubbed off on each of us in some way," Erza said, which caused Gray to smile. "Let's get home, and we'll all stop by and say hello to Natsu," Erza said. "Aye!/yeah!" was what everyone said around her. The group boarded the train and headed back to Magnolia, the ride would take four hours.

Natsu was still fully unconscious when Porylusica checked on him at eight, and he was still out when she went back at ten to change the iv bags. She checked his vitals, and a smile formed on her face as she felt his pulse was a lot stronger, as was his body temperature. He was almost completely normal, well normal for him. She went to talk to Makarov. "Your little fireball is making great leaps and bounds in his recovery, though it seems as if he's yet to awaken," she said. "It's understandable, given the severe damage his body underwent when he protected the people on that train, that it would take a bit for him to awaken," Makarov said.

As he and Porylusica chatted, various visitors came and went. Included were Mirajane, Elfman and Lisanna, Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe, but the people outside the guild who came to visit are who surprised Makarov the most. "Sting and Rogue of Sabertooth are here to visit Natsu?" he asked himself as he spoke to Porylusica. He knew Natsu was friends with the boys, so he didn't think anything of it. Rogue shook his head as they went into the room. "No doing anything stupid alright Sting?" Rogue asked. "Yeah...yeah," Sting said, he was looking at the object of his affection.

Yes, Sting Eucliffe had a crush on Natsu Dragneel. Rogue sighed and shook his head. "Hello Natsu, we're here with get well wishes for you," Rogue said. "Yeah, you need to wake up already and join everyone again," Sting said. Rogue took notice of the necklace on Natsu, and noticed his lack of a scarf, but said nothing aloud about it. After the two placed their gifts they left. "See you when you wake up Natsu," Rogue said. "Yeah, see you then, Natsu-san," Sting said.

As the two made their way into the main part of the guild hall, to leave, they'd bump into Gray, Lucy, Erza, and Happy. Sting caught sight of Natsu's scarf on Gray. "Why is Gray wearing Natsu-sans scarf?" he asked. "That's easy!" Happy said. "It's because he's Natsu's mate!" he finished as if it was common knowledge. Sting was shocked. He hadn't thought Natsu would have a mate yet. He frowned and shook his head before laughing. "Yeah right, Natsu-san and the ice block? I don't think so." he said. Rogue shook his head and then the two left the guild.

Erza and the others walked over to Makarov, who was now downstairs and began talking to him about the job they'd gone on. "So it turns out the job was really only a two-man job," Erza laughed. "Aye!" Happy agreed. Lucy giggled and shook her head, and Mirajane served them all something to eat and drink. It was about three in the afternoon by the time any of them went to go visit Natsu, Lucy was the first, then Erza, Happy was the third.

Gray was too scared to go visit Natsu just yet, still worried and semi-blaming himself for the fact that Natsu got so hurt in the first place. Even though none of it was his fault in the least, deep inside Gray knew it wasn't his fault, but still, he blamed himself for being unable to protect the man he loved. "Moping isn't going to get you anywhere Gray," Makarov said. Gray nodded and sighed. "I know, I'm just worried. what if Natsu doesn't remember, me...us?" he asked.

Makarov shook his head. "Have faith in Natsu, you and I both know he's quite hard headed," he said. Gray chuckled. "True, how else could he use fire dragon horn attack?" he asked, which caused the master to laugh a bit. "Thanks, Gramps, I'll go see him now," Gray said before he got up and headed to the infirmary. Gray made his way up the stairs and headed down the hall and into Natsu's room. He smiled and frowned at the same time. His mate was there in a bed, in a hospital like sterile room, he looked to be asleep, but he was really in a coma, and seeing him as such hurt Gray badly, it emotionally tore him apart.

Gray walked over to the side of the bed and smiled at Natsu, still wearing the dragon slayers scarf as he reached out for one of Natsu's hands. "Hey Natsu, can you hear me?" he asked, chuckling. "Of course not...you're in a coma..." he sighed. "I really miss you, so do the others Natsu," he went on, giving the hand in his a gentle squeeze. "I still owe you that dinner, so wake up soon, you hear me flame breath?" he laughed softly, shaking his head, before sinking to his knees as tears began to fall. "I love you Natsu...I can't live without you. Please come back to me," he pleaded.

Gray kept a hold of Natsu's hand, squeezing it and biting his lip as he cried into the bedside. Gray cried for what seemed like hours to him, but it really was only a few minutes. He eventually stopped and uprighted himself. "You'd probably laugh at me for crying, even if it was over you," Gray said, as he wiped his face. He let go of Natsu's hand and placed it back on the bed properly before turning to leave the room. "Good night Natsu, I love you. I'll be here tomorrow to see you again. I always come to visit when I'm not on a job," he then leaned over and pressed his lips to Natsu's before pulling away. Gray's blue eyes opened as the kiss ended, and he stared into the deep green eyes of the man he loved.

* * *

**What do you all think of this so far? Good still?  
**


	9. Of Sleeping and Parties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsu is finally awake, what does this mean for the guild and Gray?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope these chapters are still as good as the originals were. Thank you for reading.

**Recap: _He_** _ **let go of Natsu's hand and placed it back on the bed properly before turning to leave the room. "Good night Natsu, I love you. I'll be here tomorrow to see you again. I always come to visit when I'm not on a job," he then leaned over and pressed his lips to Natsu's before pulling away. Gray's blue eyes opened as the kiss ended, and he stared into the deep green eyes of the man he loved**_.

* * *

"G-Gray...?" Natsu whispered hoarsely. "W-water..." he finished. Gray nodded and grabbed a cup of water for Natsu. He took it to the other male. "I'm going to get Porylusica," Gray said. Natsu nodded. Gray went and knocked on Porylusicas door. "I assume the boy is awake?" She asked. "Yes, he just woke up," Gray said. "Alright, go gather your friends, I will get him off those infernal machines," Porylusica said. Gray nodded and then headed down the stairs.

Luckily Happy was still in the main room of the guild. "Happy! Come here!" Gray called out. "Aye!" Happy said, before he flew over to Gray. "What's the matter Gray?" Happy asked. "Nothing is wrong, go get Lucy and Erza, Natsu woke up," he said, a grin on his face. Porylusica went into Natsu's room and checked his vitals. "Well you're back to normal now, normal vitals, normal body temperature. How do you feel?" She asked. "I'm a bit sore, and I can't really feel my legs right now, but I'm alright. What exactly happened?" He asked. He had flashes of fire, the sound of something exploding, and he heard Gray's voice, screaming his name out.

"You were in an accident. Do you not remember anything?" Porylusica asked. "I remember the intense heat, eating a lot of fire..then a loud noise, Gray yelling my name and then nothing," Natsu said as he rubbed the back of his head. "Where did he go anyway? He said he was getting you," Natsu said. "I told him to gather your team mates and bring them to see you," Porylusica said.

"Oh," Natsu said, he watched as Porylusica took the various needles out of his arm. He flexed his hand and sat up with her help. She smiled at him very briefly as she disconnected him from all the machines as well. "Your vitals are strong, and your body temperature is back to normal, well normal for you," Porylusica said. Natsu nodded, he stretched his neck slightly and cracked it with a groan. Porylusica finished checking him over. "You're free to go home now Natsu. Take care of yourself, you hear me?" she said, before leaving. Her job was done. Natsu nodded and went back to sitting on the bed. He swung his legs over the side, and dangled them.

"Lucy! Lucy!" Happy said as he flew through her bedroom window. "Lucy!" He called again. "What is is Happy?" Lucy asked. "Gray said to come to the guild, Natsu is awake!" he said, he was clearly happy and a bit excited. "I'm going to get Erza, make sure you get there!" he said before he bolted out through the window, of course, he was happy Lucy didn't get mad at him for using the window, but he was just a flying blue cat to her. Happy flew over to Fairy Hills.

"Erza!" he called out. "ERRRZAAA!" he cried out louder. He flew around calling her name. Eventually, Erza walked out of one of the rooms in her pajamas. "What is it Happy?" she asked, clearly not at all amused by the fact that the exceed was screaming her name and flying around. "It's Natsu! He's awake!" Happy said. "Why didn't you say that before!? Let's go!" Erza said as she abruptly grabbed Happy and made a beeline for the guild.

Erza was too busy running to pay attention to where they were going, and she ran smack into Lucy, and Happy flew out of Erza's grip as she tumbled into Lucy. The two were sprawled on the ground, Erza's face on Lucy's chest, causing the other girl to flush. "E-Erza are you okay?" Lucy asked. Erza stood up and dusted herself off. "Yes, I'm sorry for ramming into you Lucy," Erza said. "It's fine," Lucy said as she stood with the help of Erza, then the two girls and cat made their way into the guild. Porylusica left as the girls walked in.

Happy flew upstairs automatically, leaving Gray and the girls in the main part of the guild. Gray shook his head. "Natsu is awake, and since Porylusica left I'm going to guess he's no longer hooked up to all those machines and drips," Gray said. "Naaatsu!" Happy cried as he flew into the dragon slayer, and clung to him. Natsu simply pets Happy, as it was one of the only ways to comfort him when he cried. Erza, Lucy, and Gray walked back into the room, the girls moved towards the bed, and Gray stood off to the back, away from Natsu.

"Welcome back Natsu," Erza said, a wide smile on her face. The otherwise scary woman actually showed kindness to her comrades, despite any rumors otherwise. Lucy smiled, tears spilling from her eyes as she looked at Natsu. "It's been so quiet without you Natsu," She said. Gray shook his head a bit and chuckled, she was right. There were no all-out guild brawls after the Salamander went into a coma. Natsu could remember the things people said to him while he was asleep, though most of the things pertaining to Gray.

"Why are you standing over there ice block?" Natsu asked, a grin on his face. Gray pushed himself from the wall and shrugged. "Figured I'd give you time with the girls," he said. "Porylusica said I'm free to go home, but I can't walk. How am I going to get home?" Natsu asked. "I'll carry you home," Gray said as if it was the obvious answer. Natsu blinked. "Oh, right...why were you kissing me Gray?" he asked. "I..because we're together," Gray said.

Natsu furrowed his brow. "I don't remember being with you," He said. Erza looked at Gray, she saw the heartbreak in his eyes before the ice user ran out of the room, and the guild. Erza looked at Natsu. "You don't remember dating Gray, or finding out he's your mate?" She asked. Natsu simply shook his head. Happy frowned. "Oh, Wendy and Charla's present should help!" he said. He flew around and looked for it, once he found it he handed it to Natsu. "This is a photo album," Natsu pointed out. "I know, just look at the pictures," Happy said. "I'm going to go find Gray, I know where he goes when he mopes like this," he finished before flying off to find Natsu's mate.

Happy found Gray holding his knees at the river bank. "Gray, you need to be in there," he said. Gray sighed. "He doesn't remember...I just got him Happy, and I lost him to damn amnesia!" Gray punched the ground so hard it froze over. "You didn't lose him! You said you didn't want to hurt him, but by acting this way! That's hurting Natsu!" Happy said, before marching over to Gray and scratching him, hard. "Ow, what the hell Happy?" Gray asked, looking at he exceed.

"I told you, if you hurt him I was going to scratch you," Happy said simply before flying off, back into the guild. Gray stood and dusted himself off after a few minutes. Happy was right, by acting the way he was, he was hurting Natsu, even if Natsu himself didn't realize it. He made his way back into the guild, and to Natsu's room. "So, these are real pictures of ice-I mean Gray and I?" Natsu asked, flipping through the book. "Yes, those are real. No one would fabricate anything like that Natsu. What you and Gray had...it was...is real," Lucy said. "There's no one else as deep in love as the two of you," Erza said. "Plus we had to move in with Gray a month ago anyway Natsu, we couldn't afford to keep our old place anymore, the guild felt it would be easier to move us in with Gray since you two were always together anyway," Happy said.

Gray walked back into the room, he kept his eyes behind his hair as he stood in the corner, his arms crossed over his bare chest. "When did you put your necklace on Natsu, Gray?" Erza asked. "Awhile ago, I felt it was fair. He wanted me to wear his scarf, which he never took off, so I wanted him to wear my necklace, that I never took off," Gray said. Natsu looked up and caught Gray's gaze, he turned his head to the side and blushed.

"Can you walk Natsu?" Erza asked. "Uh..no not really. Not at the moment anyway," Natsu said. "I'll carry you, as I said before. Wrap your arms around my neck," Gray said after he moved to the side of the bed and kneeled down. Natsu blushed, but wrapped his arms around Gray's neck as the other lifted him in his arms. "You sure you got him Gray?" Erza asked. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Natsu is pretty light. We'll be by the guild early in the morning. For now I want to give him some comfortable surroundings. Good night," Gray said. "Good night you two," Lucy said. "Yeah, good night," Erza said, and with that the group all left to go to their respective homes.

"So Gray...there's this photo album full of pictures that Wendy and Charla gave me as a gift. Do you know anything about it?" Natsu asked, trying to talk to Gray. "Not a clue, why?" Gray asked. "It has a bunch of pictures of you and I in it. Us hugging, kissing...cuddling and even a few of us shopping. I don't remember any of it though," Natsu said. "It happened, but don't dwell on it, alright? Just focus on recovering, I'm sure in time your memories of us will come back," Gray said. Natsu nodded, wondering if Gray was right. "We're friends still, right?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah...friends," Gray said, his heart breaking a little bit more as he said the words. "Happy, can you open the door, I left the window open for you to fly through," Gray asked. "Aye, sir!" Happy said, before flying around and then the door opened with a click. "Alright, what room do you want to sleep in Natsu?" Gray asked. "Um...what are the options?" Natsu asked. "Well, there's the room your things are in, or there's mine. We used to share it before, and we've shared beds on jobs before so it's not weird," Gray said.

"I'll sleep in mine," Natsu said. "Alright," Gray said, and carried Natsu into the room with his things. He laid the pink haired male on his bed and made sure he was comfortable. "If you need me, just send Happy to get me," Gray said. Natsu nodded. "Alright, goodnight Gray," Natsu said, before cuddling under the soft blankets on his bed. "Goodnight Natsu." Gray said. _'I love you.'_ was said inside Grays head, as he made his way to his room and stripped down to his boxers. He climbed into bed and fell asleep, all while smelling Natsu's scent, just as the other would fall asleep smelling Gray's. Gray had swapped the pillows from the two of them, and he didn't regret it. Natsu fell asleep rather quickly, despite having been 'asleep' for a long time already. The scent of Gray lulling him to dreamland.

* * *

**With Gray and Natsu 8 a.m.**

* * *

Natsu woke up early, his bladder all but screaming at him. "Happy, go get Gray. I need his help," he whimpered softly as he squirmed about on the bed. "Aye sir!" Happy said before making his way to Gray's room. "Gray, Natsu needs you," he said. Gray sat up and stretched. "Alright," he said, he got up wearing nothing but his boxers as he went to help Natsu. His hair was a mess as he'd not brushed it just yet. "Hey Natsu," he said, yawning. "Hi Gray, I really need to go to the bathroom," Natsu said, a blush on his cheeks. Gray chuckled. "Alright, let's get you to the bathroom then," he said, before picking Natsu up and carrying him to the bathroom. "I'll be right outside, if you need me simply call my name," Gray said ad he placed Natsu on the toilet.

"Alright, I should be fine now," Natsu said. Gray stepped outside of the bathroom and stood there, waiting for Natsu to finish up. After Natsu relieved himself, he tried to use the sink to steady himself to be able to wash his hands, only to lose his footing and start falling. "Gray!" he called out, but he thought it might be too late. Gray went into the bathroom as soon as he heard his name, and he managed to catch Natsu before he hit the floor.

Natsu had closed his eyes, expecting to hit the hard floor, but instead, he felt strong arms wrap themselves around his midsection, and a chilled yet toned torso behind his head. "What were you trying to do Natsu?" Gray asked. "I wanted to wash my hands I thought I could," Natsu said. "Alright then," Gray said, lifting Natsu up and holding him up to the sink. "There you go, wash up, then we'll get ready and head to the guild," Gray said, Natsu nodded. "Alright," he said. "I'll help you get dressed because you might have trouble," Gray said, which caused Natsu to blush. "O-Okay," he said.

Gray chuckled at how cute Natsu was when he blushed as he placed the other on the bed in his own room. "Alright, pants, vest, belt..." Gray said, listing the items off as he grabbed them. He'd then walk over to Natsu and help him out of the bed clothes he'd been wearing. "After we visit the guild for a bit if you want I'll bring you back here and help you relax with a nice hot bath. Okay?" Gray offered.

"Yeah...sounds fine to me. Thanks," Natsu said, a grin on his face. Gray helped Natsu get dressed by pulling his pants over his legs. "You want me to see if I can help your legs to recover? I read that chilly pressure helps loosen muscles and help them heal," Gray said. Natsu shrugged. "If you want," he said. "Here's your vest, I'm sure you can put it on," he said, he reached up and removed Natsu's scarf, and held it out to the other boy. "Here's your scarf," he said. Natsu took the scarf and out it on, he unclasped Grays necklace and handed it back. "Here's your necklace," he said. Gray nodded and put his necklace back on.

Gray kneeled in front of Natsu and gave his legs gentle massages. He was trying to loosen and relax the muscles that had simply lay unused for a few months, as well as awaken them. After about twenty minutes of massaging them, Gray stopped. "Alright, I'm going to help you stand. Let's see if that worked at all," He said. Natsu nodded, he took the offered arm and clung to it a bit as he stood. His legs were shaky and tingling. "How's it feel?" Gray asked. "They're tingling, but I can feel my feet on the ground," Natsu said.

Gray nodded. "Okay, we'll walk to the guild, if you have any trouble, or feel any pain tell me, and I'll carry you the rest of the way," Gray said. "Or I'll fly you!" Happy said. Natsu nodded. "Alright, let's go!" he said, a grin on his face. Gray held Natsu's hand as the pair walked. Natsu couldn't help but feel that holding Gray's hand felt right. Gray smiled at Natsu as they slowly made their way to the guild. By the time they arrived Natsu was covered in sweat, it was dripping off his face, and down his chest. Gray led him to a table and sat next to him. "Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Gray asked. "Yeah, I think I just over did it today is all," Natsu said, rubbing the back of his head.

The guild was pretty empty when the pair and exceed arrived. Makarov made his way down the stairs a few minutes after they arrived. "It's good to see you up and about again Natsu," Makarov said a smile on his face. "It's good to be back gramps," Natsu said, grinning. Gray smiled at Natsu, happy the other was awake, but sad at the same time because Natsu had forgotten about them. "Well, do you think you're well enough to have a party today Natsu? A party of you returning to us?" Makarov asked.

"I'm sure it'll be fine, I have Gray here to protect me if something happens," Natsu said, which caused the ice make wizard to blush a bit. "Alright, once the rest of the members show up we'll get the party rolling then!" Makarov said, there was never really any real reason to party, the guild simply did it to do it. Natsu leaned his back against the table and sighed. He felt weaker, but he knew it was probably just from being asleep for so long. Gray looked over at Natsu and watched the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

The rest of the guild members began trickling in around ten in the morning, which was about an hour after Gray, Natsu and Happy arrived. "Natsu!" "Natsu-nii!" "Natsu-kun!" "Natsu-san!" were all yelled out at random times, the members coming up to Natsu and telling him welcome back. He grinned and said how good it was to be back. Gray smiled as he watched Natsu interacting with the other guild members. "Alright everyone listen up! On account of Natsu coming back to us, we're having a celebration today! Mira break out the alcohol!" Makarov yelled, the guild members all cheered.

Mira smiled as he served people with the help of Lisanna and Elfman. "Here you are Natsu, a flame steak just for you," Mira said, smiling as she placed the plate in front of Natsu. "Thank you, Mira," Natsu said before abruptly scarfing down his food. Gray chuckled a bit and drank his ice cold drink. He kept an eye on Natsu as the guild members all came around. They were all concerned of course, but Gray was worried because of the fact that Natsu hadn't really stopped sweating since the two of them arrived, but it had slowed considerably.

"Natsu-nii!" Wendy called out as she ran over to him, and gave him a hug. "Welcome back Natsu-nii, I missed you," she said. Natsu hugged her and ruffled her hair. "I'm happy to be back, I'll be more active in a few days," he said. "Grays taking good care of me though," Natsu said with a grin. "Of course he is silly, he's your mate," Wendy said with a giggle before she ran off. Natsu laughed and shook his head.

Natsu kept stealing looks at Gray when the other was occupied with something else, such as talking to Mira or keeping his drink cold. The party went on for hours and hours, from the time the guild members all arrived in the morning to well into the night. "Gray, I think we should get home," Natsu said as he looked at the ice make wizard. "Alright, did you want me to carry you, or do you want to walk?" Gray asked. "I can walk, I need to get used to moving around again anyway," Natsu said, as he stood he took Grays hand in his, and the two made their way home.

Natsu looked around, smiling as he took in the cool night air. "You know, I'm not sure why, but something about this day just seems awesome," Natsu said. "Oh?" Gray asked. "Yeah, I've been able to hold your hand like this, and neither of us has tried to punch the other," Natsu laughed. Gray smiled. "We stopped fighting one another a few months ago, but you don't remember that right now," Gray said.

"I know, I've seen a lot of pictures, but I can't put any memories to them," Natsu sighed a bit. "I'm sorry if I'm hurting you, Gray, I don't mean to," he said. "It's alright Natsu," Gray said, giving the hand in his a gentle squeeze. Natsu beamed at Gray as their fingers laced together. Their hands fit together perfectly. The two made it home quicker then they'd made it to the guild, but not by much. "Gray, can you rub my legs again?" Natsu asked suddenly. "Sure. Do they ache?" he asked. "Yeah a bit, I figured your chilly fingers could help like they did earlier," Natsu said, his face bright red.

"Well, I have been put in charge of making sure you get back to 100% Natsu, so if there is anything you need at all, all you need to do is ask me," Gray said. "Okay," Natsu said, smiling at Gray once more. The two entered the house they shared. "Where would you like to me to rub your legs at?" Gray asked.

"Your bedroom, if that's okay?" Natsu asked, for some reason the dragon slayer was nervous. He didn't understand why. "Alright," Gray said, and the two walked into Gray's bedroom. "You're going to need to remove your pants for me to rub your legs properly, though," Gray said. "Alright," Natsu said, he bit his bottom lip and took his pants off, before sitting on the edge of the bed like he had earlier before they went to the guild. "How'd you do that so fast Gray?" Natsu asked as he looked at the other man.

"Do what?" Gray asked. "You're in your boxers," Natsu pointed out. "Oh, it's a habit I got while training as a child," Gray said with a shrug, he then set to work on Natsu's legs. Natsu groaned and grunted as his sore muscles were made to relax by the chilly touch of Gray. Sometime during the leg rub, Natsu had fallen asleep, Gray smiled and shook his head. He picked Natsu up and placed him on the other side of the bed and tucked him in. He leaned down and kissed Natsu's forehead, before going to his own side of the bed. He shut the light off and went to sleep for the night. "I was supposed to help you take a bath, silly Natsu," Gray said before sleep took him.

Sometime during the night, Natsu curled into Gray's chest, which caused the ice wizard to wrap his arm around Natsu's midsection. Gray's nose wound up buried in Natsu's hair, and Natsu's face wound up in the crook of Gray's neck. The two had smiles on their faces as the marks from their first time glowed softly in the night before dying down.

The next morning Natsu woke up first, he felt safe. He opened his eyes and yawned before stretching. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. His eyes fell upon the sleeping form of Gray who was next to him, and he blinked. He smiled a bit before he hopped off the bed, and made his way to the bathroom. The fact that he knew the way to Gray's bathroom surprised him, but he simply shrugged it off. His legs hurt a bit, but he ignored the pain. He relieved himself then went back into the bedroom he woke up in. He looked at Gray's sleeping form and couldn't help but think about how handsome the other was. He smiled, then headed into the kitchen. For some reason he was in the mood for some yogurt and he knew Gray would have a stock of the food. He chopped up some fruit and added it to the yogurt before he sat at the table and began eating. He'd even made a second bowl, which he placed on the table, he felt like this was something he did normally.

When Gray woke up, the first thing he noticed was the fact that Natsu was missing. He got up and checked Natsus room, then the bathroom. When he didn't find the other, he headed into the living room and kitchen area. "There you are," Gray said, his hair still an uncombed mess from sleep. He smirked and went over to the table. "Thank you for making me some as well Natsu," he said.

"You're welcome Gray," Natsu said as he ate the yogurt. "I still owe you that relaxing hot bath you know. You passed out last night while I rubbed your legs," Gray said with a chuckle. Natsu blushed softly at the chuckle, it just sounded so good to him for some reason. "Sorry, it just felt so nice, they stopped hurting and I guess I just fell asleep, but why didn't you move me to my room?" Natsu asked. Gray shrugged. "Didn't feel like it, plus you were comfortable, so I would have felt bad," Gray said. "Alright. Well after breakfast you can give me that bath," Natsu said. He could probably get used to the pampering the other was giving him.

After the two finished their fruit and yogurt Gray picked Natsu up and carried him to the bathroom. He turned the water onto as hot as possible and then turned the jets on. The tub he had was big enough for at least four people. "I'm going to add some relaxing salt to the water, it will help to ease the tension and soreness you're feeling," Gray said. "Okay," Natsu said. He smiled at Gray. "Alright, Natsu, strip," Gray said, which caused the other to blush deeply.

"I'm not being a pervert, you need to strip and get into the tub," Gray said. Natsu laughed, his face still red as he pulled his pants and vest off. Gray hadn't undressed him, so he knew he could trust the other. Natsu then pulled his boxers off and climbed into the tub. "Ooh...this feels nice," Natsu said, slowly sinking down into the really deep hot water til only his eyes showed. Gray laughed. "You used to do that at the hot springs," he said. Natsu turned to look at him. "Are you going to get in too?" Natsu asked innocently. "Well yeah, I have to, to be able to wash your hair and back for you," Gray said. He simply took his boxers off then climbed in. "It's like we're kids again, only Erza isn't here," Gray said with a laugh. "Yeah," Natsu said.

Gray put some of Natsu's shampoo on his hand and then began massaging it into his scalp. Natsu let out a soft noise that sounded almost like a purr as Gray washed his hair. "Alright, lean back so I can rinse this off," Gray said. Natsu did so, his body stretching slightly as Gray poured hot water over Natsu's head, the suds washing away as the tub's jets kept hitting the two with hot water. Gray was unbothered by the heat, which actually surprised Natsu a bit, he thought he'd hate the heat given the fact that he was an ice user.

"Alright, time to wash your back. Turn and face the wall," Gray said. He then grabbed a scrubby and put some of Natsu's body wash on it, he reached forward and began washing Natsu. His hand would work the scrubby into Natsu's skin, and as he rinsed the other off his hand would brush against the mark on Natsu, causing the other to shudder softly. "You okay Natsu?" Gray asked. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Natsu said. "Alright, just making sure. I'm going to get out of the tub now, but I'll stay in here just in case you need something, or would you rather I leave?" Gray asked. "I'm fine with you staying in here, I mean my legs are feeling better, but I'd rather be safe then sorry," Natsu said. Gray nodded. "Alright, then I'm going to get some clean boxers and I'll be back shortly," Gray said. Natsu nodded and went back to soaking in the water happily.

Gray headed into his bedroom and grabbed a clean pair of boxers. He slipped them on and then headed back into the bathroom. Natsu was happily floating in the tub, which caused Gray to chuckle. The dragon slayer looked at Gray from the corner of his eye, Gray was leaning against the tile wall, his arms folded over his bare chest as water from the tub ran down the defined muscles. Natsu's eyes watched each droplet as they fell.

Eventually, Natsu moved over to the tub controls and shut them off, he also drained the tub and stood in the center of it before he flared his fire up to dry off. "Ahh, that felt great," he said, before looking over his shoulder a grin on his face as he looked at Gray, who was still leaning against the wall with his arms folded. "Oh, you ready to get out now?" Gray asked.

"Yeah. I need some clean boxers though," Natsu laughed. "I can grab you a pair if you want?" Gray offered. "Sure, I'll wait here," Natsu said. Gray nodded, and pushed off the wall, Natsu watched as the muscles on Grays body contracted and then relaxed in mild fascination. Gray headed into Natsu's room and grabbed him a pair of clean boxers, he then headed back to the bathroom, only to find Natsu on the floor, face down. "Natsu! Oh god Natsu!" he said, dropping the boxers onto the counter as he ran to Natsu's side.

Gray picked up Natsu and rolled him over. "Natsu, can you hear me?" he asked, his eyes shined with concern for the other. Natsu seemed to be disoriented, as well as semi-conscious, his body was burning hot and it worried Gray. "G-Gray..." Natsu groaned out, his sight shaking before going black.

* * *

**How's that for a bit of drama, it's not too much right? I don't think I ever asked before.  
**

* * *


	10. Of Dates and Fireworks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What could possibly be going on with the resident hot-head? You're just going to have to wait and see, there's also a bit of flashbacks in a way in this chapter, and some food shopping with Gray and Natsu, a little domestication can't hurt!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still working on these rewrites. Sometimes I don't really add much, but I do find weird errors from time to time to correct, so if you're a returning reader, chances are you've likely not really spotted much different between this and the original aside from the grammar, spelling and word use.

**Recap:** _**Gray picked up Natsu and rolled him over. "Natsu, can you hear me?" he asked, his eyes shined with concern for the other. Natsu seemed to be disoriented, as well as semi-conscious, his body was burning hot and it worried Gray. "G-Gray..." Natsu groaned out, his sight shaking before going black.**_

* * *

Gray put Natsu into some boxers as gently as he could. The other was so absurdly hot that he was making the ice user sweat, and that was saying something. "Happy!" Gray called out. "Aye?" Happy responded. "Go get Wendy, maybe the old woman too, something is wrong with Natsu!" Gray said. Happy didn't need to be asked twice before the exceed flew out the open window. Gray used some of his ice to try to cool down Natsu's body, he was far too hot, even for a fire user. Gray kept his ice flowing, Natsu's body was so hot it was melting nearly instantaneously.

Gray grit his teeth and put forth more of his magic, he was focusing on cooling Natsu down, but the heat emanating from the dragon slayer was causing even the ice user to sweat to where it dripped off him like droplets of rain. "Shit this is bad," he grunted. "Natsu-nii!" Gray heard Wendy's voice yell. "In the back Wendy!" he managed to call out, he was panting. Shortly after the arrival of Wendy, Porylusica entered the house with Happy.

"What happened?" Wendy asked as she saw Gray using his magic and the steam filling the room. "I don't know, I had helped him bathe and left to retrieve some clean clothes for him to wear. When I returned to the bathroom...he was face down on the floor. His body temperature is too high!" Gray said. Wendy bit her bottom lip. "I-I think I know what's going on Gray..." the young blue-haired young woman said as she looked at the older male. "What is it, and how do we help him?" Gray asked, his voice wavering slightly as his magic was slowly depleted from him trying to keep Natsu cool. "It's something Natsu-nii has to do himself," she said quietly, which caused Gray to frown.

Porylusica looked at Wendy. "What is it, girl?" She asked, clearly irritated. "It's a dragon slayer thing," Wendy said softly, Porylusica blinked. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "Well...Natsu-nii's birthday is coming up...and he chose Gray-san as his mate..." Wendy started explaining, she poked her forefingers together as her face flushed softly. Porylusica blinked, then she laughed. "Oh, I see. Well then, here's something you might need," she said, before placing a salve on the side table near Gray and Natsu.

"U-Um Happy...you're not going to want to be here when Natsu-nii wakes up," Wendy said. "What, why not?" Happy asked, clearly confused. "B-because...b-because..." Wendy stuttered, the poor girl's face was so red it looked like she might burst at any moment. Gray stopped using his magic and blinked. "What are you going on about?" he asked, concern and confusion evident on his face. "You'll see," Porylusica said, before leading the still red-faced stuttering girl out of the house.

Gray groaned a bit, the amount of magic he had used on Natsu had drained him a bit, he looked at Natsu. The other male seemed feverish and was sweating. Gray placed a magically chilled cloth on Natsu's forehead before he closed his eyes and sat on a chair in the room overlooking the bed. The heat in the room was intense, Gray was in only his boxers, and he was still sweating. So he turned and opened the windows to let some of the slightly chilly early spring air into the room, a groan leaving his throat as the cool air washed over his heated body.

As much as Gray hated the heat, he wasn't going to leave Natsu in the room by himself. He didn't want to be the reason something else happened to the man he loved. After the air flow cooled the room down a bit, Gray collapsed back in the chair. Natsu was laying on his bed, drenched in sweat, his body letting off massive waves of heat. "G-Graay.." Natsu groaned softly after about an hour. "G-Graayy..." he said again. Gray got up and walked to the side of the bed. "Natsu?" he asked, his voice soft so as to not startle the other.

Natsu's eyes were open his face flushed a deep crimson as he looked at Gray. He lifted a hand and reached for Gray. "Grraaaay..." he moaned out, causing the other to furrow his brow and look at him. "I'm right here Natsu," Gray said as he stood off to the side of the of the bed. "Close...c-come closer..." Natsu said. Gray moved closer to the side of the bed. "Do you need anything Natsu, I'll get it for you. Just tell me what you want," Gray said.

"I-I...need...you Gray...s-so hot...help..!" Natsu said as he squirmed about on the bed weakly. Gray frowned. "What do you mean you need me? I'm here aren't I?" he asked. "N-need...release," Natsu said. Gray was taken aback at the bluntness of the words that came out of Natsu's mouth. "N-Natsu! This isn't funny! You're in no shape for anything of the sort!" Gray said, his cheeks slightly tinted pink. "H-heh...i-ice...princess is scared," Natsu said, trying to goad Gray.

"I'm not scared for myself damnit fire breath!" Gray exclaimed. Natsu simply sat up and moved to the edge of the bed, the heat radiating off of him still as he stood slowly. Gray backed away from Natsu, the heat was intense. "Graaayyyy," Natsu said, his face covered in a crooked grin, his eyes dark with something Gray didn't recognize. Natsu slowly moved towards Gray, that grin never leaving his face as he took slow step, after slow step. Eventually, Gray's back hit a wall and he cursed. He tried to evade Natsu, but the other male grabbed his arm, which led to a hiss coming from Gray.

_'This can't be good!'_ Gray thought, Natsu's grin never left his face as he advanced on Gray, placing his overheating body against Gray's chilled one. Natsu tilted his head up and got onto his toes as he neared Gray's face. "Graaay..." Natsu said, causing an involuntary shudder to go through the other's body.

"Natsu, what are you-" Gray started, only to be abruptly stopped by the shorter males lips upon his own. Gray's eyes widened as Natsu's lips pressed against his, he gasped as he felt those sharp teeth bite into his bottom lip, but, he found himself wrapping his arms wrapping around the other pulling him close. Natsu growled, causing Gray to shiver. The kiss was fierce and full of passion as Natsu held it, he had his arms around Gray's neck to ensure the other couldn't pull away. After their lips were locked for a few minutes, Natsu's eyes rolled into the back of his skull and he passed back out. Gray gasped and caught him. "Natsu!" He exclaimed, before carrying the other back to the bed but not before noticing that his body temperature had gone back down to normal levels. Well normal for Natsu that was. After placing Natsu on the bed, Gray eventually passed out from how much magic he'd used to try to stabilize the other.

A few hours passed and Natsu awoke with a groan. He opened his eyes and let them focus. He was clearly in a bed, as he was laying on something soft, but he didn't recall walking there. Before he could sit up, he felt a lump on the other side of himself. He turned his head and looked over. Gray was still sleeping, the other in nothing but his boxers as he lay atop the covers. Natsu shook his head, how had he gotten into Gray's bedroom again? Natsu being Natsu shook Gray to wake the other up. "Oi! Ice block! Wake up!" He said, still shaking the other male.

Gray groaned as he woke up. "Nn..." Gray groaned, still tired from earlier in the day. His tired blue eyes opened as he turned his head to look at Natsu after sitting up slowly. "How are you feeling Natsu?" Gray asked with a yawn. "I feel fine, but how'd I get in here?" Natsu asked. "I found your face down on the bathroom floor, picked you up and carried you in here," Gray said with a shrug as he slid off of the bed. "Oh..." Natsu said. "Thanks, I guess?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head. Gray simply grunted.

As Natsu got a good look at Gray's face he frowned. "What happened to your face?" he asked. "Nothing, don't worry about it," Gray mumbled, not wanting to say anything. "Your bottom lip looks like you got attacked by a wild animal," Natsu said. "Oh, it was a wild something alright..." Gray muttered. "What was that ice block?" Natsu asked. "Nothing, don't worry your pink head about it flame brain," Gray said, causing Natsu to growl and punch him in the shoulder.

"Teme!" Natsu growled out. "Do you need anything to eat or drink?" Gray asked. Natsu went to shake his head, but his stomach rumbled. "Uh...I guess I'm hungry?" He asked, rubbing the back of his head as he blushed. "Alright, let's get dressed, I'll take you somewhere to eat. What are you in the mood for?" Gray asked, pulling his pants on, they were on the floor at the foot of his bed, how they'd gotten there he'd never know. "I want steak..." Natsu said. "Alright, you want me to help you get to your room to get dressed or are you going to be alright getting there yourself?" Gray asked. "I should be fine..." Natsu said, he stood up and slowly walked to his bedroom to get dressed.

Gray pulled on a shirt and buttoned it partially. He never kept them on for long anyway, so why bother buttoning it fully? Natsu pulled on his clothes, but as he did so he had flashes of himself pinning Gray to the wall and biting his bottom lip as he kissed the other. His face went a deep crimson. _'You need to remember Natsu..'_ A voice said inside his own head. Natsu blinked. "Huh?" he asked aloud.

"Yo Natsu! You ready to go?" Gray asked as he leaned against the doorway to Natsu's bedroom, his shirt partially unbuttoned, and his arms crossed over his chest as he smirked. "Yeah, I'm good," Natsu said, shaking his head a bit as his thought started to go somewhere that confused him. _'Why would I think about Gray like that?'_ Natsu thought to himself. _'Because you love him,'_ the voice from earlier responded. _' You need to remember Natsu,' _the voice finished. Natsu gave Gray a half grin. "Alright popsicle breath, let's go!" he said, causing Gray to chuckle and shake his head a bit. As Natsu stepped out of the room he grabbed Gray's hand. Gray smiled, and the two then headed into town to find a place to eat.

"You said you wanted steak right?" Gray asked. "Yep," Natsu said, smiling a bit. He didn't seem to mind the looks the two of them were getting, plus he could tell Gray didn't care either. "How about we go there then," Gray said, pointing to Natsu's favorite place to eat. "That'd be awesome! You're the best Gray!" Natsu cheered before all but jumping on the other male as he hugged him. Gray returned the hug, before putting Natsu down and then taking his hand again. "Come on, it's my treat and I have enough jewel to feed you, even with your insatiable appetite," Gray chuckled as they made their way into the restaurant.

The two were seated and had glasses of water brought to them. "Well if it isn't my favorite customers. Welcome back!" The man who owned the establishment said with a wave at the two. Natsu smiled and waved back. "I'm betting you two want your usual dishes right?" The waiter asked as he walked over to the two of them. "Yeah, the drinks too, if you would," Gray said. The waiter nodded and left to go get their drinks. "Thank you for bringing me out to eat Gray," Natsu said as he played with the cubes of ice inside his cup of water. "It's not a problem, I need to do some shopping tomorrow for food for the house, or I simply would have cooked us something to eat," Gray said with a laugh. Natsu laughed in response to the laughing. Their drinks arrived, Natsu's was a hot spiced drink, Gray's was a chilled one.

After a short, while their food arrived, there was a huge amount which caused Natsu's stomach to rumble more, before he began tearing into the food that was placed in front of him. Gray smiled as Natsu happily ate, it was a good thing he had a lot of jewel because the bill was going to be pretty big. Natsu happily tore into his food with childish abandon as Gray smiled and ate his own. The two finished at roughly the same time. "Would you like something for dessert Natsu?" Gray asked. "Well, sure if you want to get it I guess," Natsu said. Gray shook his head.

"Do you want dessert?" Gray asked again. "Yeah, I'd like it. Thank you," Natsu said. Gray nodded at the waiter and they brought over two large slices of cinnamon chocolate pie, for the two of them. "Enjoy," he said before he walked away. Natsu grinned and took a bite of the dessert, his eyes widened and then lit up before he devoured the entire slice. "Mmmm!" Natsu moaned softly as he ate the pie.

After the couple finished their dinner, the waiter came over and gave them the check. Gray took a look at it and his eyes widened. He looked at the owner of the restaurant who simply smiled and waved at him. "Thank you," Gray said to the man. "Come on Natsu, it seems our bill for tonight was covered," he finished. "Alright!" Natsu cheered a bit, a grin on his face. He was still walking slower than normal, but he was getting back into it at a decent pace. "Are you going to need me to relax the muscles in your legs again Natsu?" Gray asked as the two made their way towards the guild. "Yeah, they are aching a bit. Of course, that is if you don't mind," Natsu said, his face heating up as he thought of the others fingers dancing on his sore muscles to relax them.

They walked into the guild, and Natsu sat down at one of the tables. Gray sat on the floor at Natsu's feet and began working on the other males legs. "They don't seem as tense today, but they're far from back to top shape," Gray said. "Yeah, I can tell," Natsu said. He flinched a bit as Gray hit a really tough muscle. The other simply chilled his hands more as he worked on it. "It's not hurting you too much is it?" Gray asked.

"N-No, it doesn't hurt at all really," Natsu said, trying to not blush too deeply as Gray rubbed his legs in the middle of the guild. The other guild members didn't seem at all affected by the fact that Gray was doing something that Natsu thought seemed a bit intimate. Natsu let out a pained groan as Gray found a sensitive part of his leg. "You alright there Natsu?" Gray asked. "Yeah, just hurt a little bit for a sec there," Natsu said. "There are supposed to be fireworks tonight Natsu, want to watch them?" Gray asked. "Fireworks?! Hell yeah!" Natsu said as he stood up and fist pumped. Gray chuckled a bit.

"They should start once the sun begins to set," Gray said. Natsu smiled at him. "Should we go find a good seat or something somewhere?" Natsu asked. "Well, I know where the best seat in all of Magnolia is Natsu," Gray said as he stood up. He took Natsu's hand and the two made their way to the roof of the guild. "Whoa, this view is amazing!" Natsu said as if it was the first time he'd seen it. Well, technically it was since he woke up anyway. The sun began to sink on the horizon, sending the pinks, reds, and oranges over the water of the river. Natsu's eyes watched as the sun sank down, it brought forth a memory.

* * *

_Natsu was on the beach. He was standing and staring at the waves as they lapped at his toes. The sun was setting over the water, and it was a beautiful scene. "There you are!" Gray said while panting slightly. He rested his hands on his knees, for a moment before he looked up at Natsu. "Natsu?" He said. "I-I'm sorry for saying something Gray, I knew...I knew I should have stayed quiet about it," Natsu sniffled a bit. Gray hugged Natsu from behind._

_"You didn't do anything wrong Natsu. I did. I was silent. you surprised me is all," he said, before turning Natsu to face him. Gray had a big smile on his face, and as Natsu looked at him in the light of the setting sun, he couldn't help but see how handsome Gray really was. He sniffled. "S-Stupid ice block," he said with a pout. Gray tilted Natsu's head up using two fingers. Natsu looked into Gray's eyes, the rays of the setting sun illuminated their silhouettes, as Gray embraced Natsu. "G-Gray...what are you doing?" Natsu asked. Gray leaned down, closing the distance between them. "Kissing you," Gray said simply before pressing his lips against those of Natsu._

* * *

Natsu gasped as he came out of the flashback, he pressed his fingers to his lips as he did so. Gray was sitting next to him on the roof, he had one of his arms over his knee as he looked at the darkening sky. Natsu looked over at the other man, Gray was relaxed and had a smile on his face. The arm that wasn't resting over his knee was on the roof between the two of them. Natsu scooted closer to Gray and placed his hand on top of the one Gray had down. "Gray...I think...I remember our first kiss," He said softly, which caused Gray to look at him.

Natsu squeezed Gray's hand gently, then there was the sound of an explosion and the color red filled the air. Natsu looked up and grinned. The fireworks had started. The two sat in silence as they went off, they were so close to them that Natsu could sometimes feel some of the warmth from the explosions that brought the fireworks to life.

The fireworks show went off for about an hour, Natsu was cuddled into Gray's side as they watched. Gray smiled as he wrapped an arm around Natsu's shoulders. When Natsu made no move to pull away it made Gray happy. "Shall we go home now Natsu?" Gray asked. "Sure," Natsu said. So the two headed back into the guild, then they headed out the doors, hand in hand. Both wore smiles as they made their way home. "I enjoyed today Gray," Natsu said. "I'm glad Natsu. Maybe we can do something similar later on down the road," Gray said. "I'd like that," Natsu responded. They walked in silence after that, simply enjoying one another's presence.

Gray opened the door as they arrived home and let Natsu walk inside first like a gentleman would for a lady. Good thing Natsu didn't take it that way or Gray would likely have a sore jaw. After Gray closed the door, Natsu let go of his hand and turned to face him. "Hey, Gray?" Natsu said. "Yeah?" Gray asked as he turned to face Natsu, only to find the other right behind him.

Natsu grabbed Gray by the front of his shirt and pulled him down a bit, before kissing him softly. Just as quickly as Natsu had kissed him he stopped. "Thank you for tonight Gray. I loved it," he said before he turned and made his way to his room, leaving a partially stunned Gray standing by the front door. After Gray snapped out of it, he chuckled and made his way to his own room. He stripped to his boxers and laid on the bed. It wasn't that he was very tired, but he should sleep to recuperate his magic that he'd depleted helping Natsu.

Natsu changed into something to sleep in as well before he fell back first onto his bed. He'd crawl under the blankets and close his eyes, wanting to sleep. He had a good day, and he got to go on a date with Gray, then they watched fireworks! He'd loved every second of it, of course as he remembered the kiss he gave Gray after they'd arrived home his face flushed. After his mind calmed down from the onslaught of thoughts, as well as snippets of memories Natsu eventually fell asleep. Gray fell asleep shortly after Natsu had, not that he knew it though.

Shortly after falling into a deep sleep, Gray began to dream or rather began to have a nightmare. He tossed and turned, sounds of distress coming from him, as well as flashes of ice. The temperature in his room dropped drastically, so far in fact that it was to the point that his breath could be seen. He was muttering incoherently as he tossed around. He clutched his pillow as tears began to form on his face, only to crystallize from the sheer cold that was in his room.

* * *

_Gray was reliving the accident. Gray could feel the train car flipping, and he saw it send Natsu flying. He saw Natsu hit a metal bar really hard, the sound of something going crunch, and his scream echoed through the car, and all Gray could do was watch in horror as Natsu collapsed into a heap on the floor, blood oozing from his head even faster now, as well as a new cut along his arm. As soon as Gray could he rushed to the dragon slayers side to check his pulse, he let out a sigh of relief as he felt one. "S-Shit..." Natsu groaned, he was awake, but he was really woozy. "G-Gray..." he said, reaching out for the other._

_Gray checked Natsu for any spinal injury, and found none, as he leaned down to pick Natsu up, the sound of an explosion rang through. Grays' eyes widened as he felt himself falling backward from a push on his chest. "NATSSUUUUUU!" He screamed as the car he'd been pushed from exploded. "NATSUUUU!" he screamed again._ This time he sat up, covered in a cold sweat from his terrible nightmare. He tried to lay back down, but couldn't seem to sleep. So he went to check on Natsu, to make sure he was back, he was awake and alive.

Gray smiled as he saw Natsu sleeping peacefully. He crawled into bed with Natsu, just to hold him for a small while, he didn't mean to fall asleep holding the other. The next morning Natsu woke up and blinked. He felt a weight across his abdomen, he looked down and then tried to move, only to let out an unmanly squeak as he was held tighter. "Mm...Natsu..." Gray mumbled in his sleep. Only once Natsu heard the voice of the owner of the offending arm did he relax. He once more tried to move. He really had to pee!

When Gray squeezed him once more, Natsu squirmed. "Graaaay! Let me go, I really need to go to the bathroom!" he said softly. Gray eventually woke up, the first thing he saw was pink in his vision. "Natsu?" he asked aloud. "Y-yeah...can you let me go so I can go to the bathroom ice block?" Natsu asked, a slight whine in his voice. "Let you go? What?" Gray asked, before looking down. "Oh, sorry," he said, removing his arm from Natsu. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep in here, I couldn't sleep last night," he finished. "It's okay Gray," Natsu said before he got up and walked to the bathroom. Gray followed him and waited outside.

After Natsu finished relieving himself, he washed his hands and dried them. He then exited the bathroom. "Hey ice block, can you rub my legs again?" Natsu asked. "Yeah, we can use the couch this time. The leg rest can rise to elevate your legs as I rub them this time." Gray said. Natsu's stomach grumbled. "Or maybe we should eat breakfast before we do that?" Gray asked with a chuckle. Natsu blushed. "Y-yeah...food sounds nice," he said. So the two made their way to the kitchen.

"Take a seat Natsu, I'll see what we have left," Gray said. "Okay," Natsu said, he sat at the table. Gray rummaged through the cabinets and fridge. "Hmmm...Well, we have two of this type of steak, and some eggs. You feeling it?" Gray asked. "What kind of steak?" Natsu asked, his mouth salivating. "Cubed, it's good battered, fried and slathered in white gravy," Gray said. "Sounds awesome!" Natsu said. "Would you like to help me go shopping for food and stuff later Natsu?" Gray asked. He clearly wanted to spend as much time with Natsu as he could. "Sure, it'll save me from being alone in the house all day," Natsu laughed. Gray shook his head and smiled. "Alright, after we eat and I rub your legs, we'll get ready and head to the store," Gray said. "Sounds great!" Natsu smiled.

Gray grabbed some flour, salt, garlic, pepper, and sugar and mixed them into a breading mix. He dipped the steaks into the water, then egg, followed by the flour mix, and added them to the pan he put on the stove with oil in it. He fried them slowly, but thoroughly. He pulled a saucepan out of the cupboard and put some milk into it, then salt, pepper, garlic, and cornstarch. He kept an eye on it as he cooked. "Smells good!" Natsu said with a grin. "I hope it tastes as good as you think it does Natsu," Gray said with a chuckle. "It should, besides even if you burn it I'd still eat it," Natsu said with a shrug. Gray shook his head and went back to cooking, after about twenty minutes Gray placed a plate in front of Natsu. He had a plate full of food. "Enjoy," Gray said.

Natsu moaned as he bit into the food, Gray really knew how to cook! Gray chuckled as he watched Natsu tear into the food. The two ate their breakfasts, then went into the living room. "Okay, sit on the couch there Natsu," Gray said. Natsu shrugged and sat down, before letting out an undignified yelp as his legs were suddenly put into the air. Gray laughed a bit, then started rubbing Natsu's legs.

"The muscles aren't as bad as the past few days, they're still stiff, but you're getting there," Gray said. Natsu grinned. "Of course I am! I have you taking care of me! Plus I'm a dragon slayer! We're resilient!" Natsu said, causing Gray to chuckle a bit. Gray kept his chilled hands working on the muscles for about half an hour. "Alright, I think we can head to the store now," Natsu said. Gray nodded and stopped rubbing Natsu's legs. Gray then lowered the leg rest on the couch and offered his hand to help Natsu up. Natsu took the offered hand and stood. "I'll wait on the porch for you when you finish getting ready Natsu," Gray said.

The two headed into their respective rooms. Gray tugged on his jeans, boots, and shirt. He left his shirt open slightly, as usual, he then grabbed his wallet and went to the porch. Natsu took a few extra minutes to get ready as he's somehow misplaced his sandals. He slipped them on, then met Gray on the porch. "Ready to go?" Gray asked. "Yeah," Natsu said, and as he did he took Gray's hand. Gray smiled at their linked hands, and the two made their way to the shopping center. They made their way around the center, picking up various fruits, vegetables, and fresh meats. "If you find something you want Natsu, just pick it up. I'll buy it for you," Gray said. "Okay, thank you," Natsu said.

After shopping for about an hour, the duo made their way back to the house. "Oh Natsu, we have to go to the guild tomorrow, okay?" Gray said. "Hm? Sure," Natsu said, he was really beginning to love the way Gray's voice sounded. It was deep, but not too deep and husky. Natsu found it sexy, not that he'd admit it out loud! As they went into the house, the two would set about putting all the food away. "We got a lot today, we even got some salmon for Happy," Natsu said with a grin. "Of course, we can't forget your little buddy Natsu," Gray said.

"He and I usually go to the river to go fishing on Saturdays, if you want to join us this time?" Gray offered. "Sure, we can have a contest to see who catches the biggest fish!" Natsu said, which caused Gray to laugh. "Sounds like it might be fun. What would we wager?" Gray asked. "Hmm, I'm not sure! Let's think about it until we go fishing," Natsu said. "Alright," Gray said as he put the last of the food in the fridge.

"What should we do now Gray?" Natsu asked. "Hm, we could watch something on the tv if you wanted," Gray offered. "Alright!" Natsu said before he ran into the living room and plopped down on the couch. Gray chuckled and shook his head. He grabbed something for them to snack on while they watched tv. Natsu happily took control of the remote, and he flipped through the various channels. He was curious as to what would be on. He hummed as he flipped through the channels, eventually, he left it on a channel that was discussing various elements and their possible uses in medicine, which honestly surprised Gray. He'd been expecting Natsu to want to watch something with explosions, or fire...maybe both. Or even something childish.

* * *

**To be continued. Hope you're all still liking this.  
**


	11. Of Heat and Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsu and Gray watch an informative show that involves medicinal or other uses for various elemental magic. What is this about shopping?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting towards the end of this rewrite. I hope you're all still enjoying this as much as I am. The first chapter of the sequel will be out soon!

**Recap: _"What should we do now Gray?" Natsu asked. "Hm, we could watch something on the tv if you wanted," Gray offered. "Alright!" Natsu said before he ran into the living room and plopped down on the couch. Gray chuckled and shook his head. He grabbed something for them to snack on while they watched tv. Natsu happily took control of the remote, and he flipped through the various channels. He was curious as to what would be on. He hummed as he flipped through the channels, eventually, he left it on a channel that was discussing various elements and their possible uses in medicine, which honestly surprised Gray. He'd been expecting Natsu to want to watch something with explosions, or fire...maybe both. Or even something childish._**

* * *

"Hey Gray, do you think that this is all true?" Natsu asked, turning to face Gray. On the television was 'Elemental Properties and Their Uses in Medicine.', the current element was fire, followed by ice.

"Honestly, I can't really say," Gray responded. He was shirtless again, despite having been fully dressed when he sat down initially. Natsu simply smiled and went back to watching the show. _'Ice has a great many uses in medicinal as well as practical daily uses. Some people even use ice in certain extracurricular activities. More on that later tonight,'_ Gray choked on his drink. 'Ice in the _bedroom?'_

Natsu laughed a bit at the face Gray made after the television said something about ice in activities other than day to day or battle. "Shut it flame brain!" Gray muttered, causing Nastu to laugh some more. "S-Sorry b-but it's s-so funny!" Natsu said between laughs. "Ice is a perverted element!" he finished. Gray grumbled and tried to look away from Natsu as the other laughed. Natsu's body temperature had returned to normal after Natsu had passed out, but that didn't mean they were out of the hot water just yet.

_'Hot water..heh,'_ Gray thought to himself. "What's with the perverted grin ice block?" Natsu asked after the show ended, and then he simply shut the television off. "Nothing Natsu," Gray said. "You're a horrible liar, but I'll let it slide for now...pervy ice block," Natsu said, a teasing tone in his voice as he got off the couch and walked towards his room.

Gray finished reading the article in the magazine he had picked up. It was the article about the accident and Natsu's various injuries. He frowned and sighed before standing up. He stripped on his way to the bathroom, before climbing into the shower and turning the water on ice cold, and full blast. He picked up his shampoo and poured some into the palm of his hand, then lathered it into his hair. He scrubbed his scalp before dragging his fingers through his soaking wet locks all while thinking.

Natsu's nose twitched as he smelt something good. He followed the scent, which led him to the bathroom. He opened the door and froze in the doorway. His eyes drank in the sight before him. Pale flesh was soaked, water drops flowing down along every dip and angle on the body. Into and out of the scars, as well as along the mark on Gray's shoulder. Lucky for Natsu Gray had his head under the water, so he didn't hear Natsu's gasp.

Natsu stood there for a good few minutes, heat pooling in his belly as he watched the water drip all over Gray's naked form. _'Shit...Gray is hot...for a perverted ice block,'_ Eventually, Natsu managed to pull himself away from the sight, shaking his head to try to get rid of the thoughts running through it. As Natsu got back to his room and shut the door he bent over and placed the palms of his hands on his knees as he panted, his body had gotten warm again, and it confused him a lot. Just what was going on with him?

Gray grabbed a washcloth and some body wash before he washed his skin. He sighed, thinking about how if Natsu still had all his memories they'd probably be showering together. He finished washing up before he stepped out of the shower and dried off. He took a towel and rubbed his scalp to get it to be just damp before he wrapped said towel around his waist. He headed to his bedroom to put a pair of boxers on.

"I wonder if Natsu is hungry," Gray said aloud to himself. He shrugged, then decided to go check on the other if only to see if he wanted to eat something.

_Knock, knock._ The sound was faint to Natsu, whose body was really warm once more, the slight tent in his pants was a testament to this fact. _Knock, knock._ There was that tapping noise again. Natsu was hunched over, breathing raggedly trying to calm himself down. _Knock, knock!_ It was louder this time, it seemed Natsu's heat hazed mind was clearing up a bit. _KNOCK, KNOCK!_ The sound was coming from behind him! Natsu hopped up and opened the door, only to be greeted by the sight of Gray in nothing but boxers, a stray water droplet running down from his shoulder to his abs, Natsu's eyes watched that droplet until it vanished.

"Hey Natsu, I was wondering if you're hungry?" Gray asked. Natsu looked up at Gray's face, and his mind thought of kissing those lips again. _Growl, rumble!_ The noise came from Natsu's abdomen, and it caused Gray to chuckle. "I'll take that as your stomach answering?" he asked, giving Natsu a small smile. "Y-Yeah..I'm a bit hungry. I guess?" Natsu said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as his cheeks remained tinted red.

"Alright, come on then. I'll fix something for us to eat in the kitchen," Gray said. Natsu gulped and nodded before the two of them made their way to the kitchen. "Are you in the mood for anything in particular?" Gray asked. "Um.," Natsu said. "Uh...something with meat?" he asked, before trying to hide in his scarf from embarrassment. Gray chuckled softly. "Alright, I'll make spaghetti," he said.

"That's fine Ice block," Natsu said, but Gray heard something mumbled, the scarf wasn't exactly thin. Gray shook his head and chuckled as Natsu hid. "Alright, so I'll cook, and you can be yourself," he said, as he turned to the counter. He began gathering the things to create the sauce, as it would have to simmer for at least twenty minutes. He wasn't one for canned or premade sauces. It just wasn't his thing.

After chopping up fresh basil and parsley, he added salt, pepper, minced garlic and some other seasonings. He then added tomato puree, and some stewed tomatoes as well. Then he added some sugar, and honey to add a sweeter taste to what would otherwise be a very acidic sauce. He kept testing the sauce, before smiling and placing the lid on it. As the sauce simmered on low, he'd add noodles to water he brought up to a boil. The pot with the noodles had a small amount of salt to ease the boiling, and some olive oil to help with the noodles to not stick to one another.

He grabbed some sausage, cheese, bread crumbs, garlic and ground beef. He chopped the cheese up into small squares, then grabbed some of the meat mixtures and rolled them into meatballs, which he'd then put into the simmering sauce. The meats were both lean, plus the little fat from the sausage would add to the flavor of the sauce. He chopped some mushrooms, and some more garlic which he added to the sauce, then he diced a small bit of sweet onion before placing the lid back onto the pot.

Natsu kept quiet, simply watching Gray move about the kitchen and cook. "Hey ice block, can I cook tomorrow?" he asked. "Sure, I don't see why not, just grab anything you need from the freezer tonight," Gray said. Natsu smiled. "I will," he responded. Gray turned back to the meal he was preparing, he began humming a tune as he continued to cook. Once the noodles were done he strained them in the sink, then added a bit of olive oil to them before he tossed them around. He stirred the sauce and checked one of the meatballs until they were done perfectly. He smiled. He took some noodles and placed them on a plate, before topping them with copious amounts of sauce and meatballs, then the second plate as well. He carried them to the table and placed them down.

"What would you like to drink for the meal Natsu?" Gray asked. "Uh..tea?" Natsu asked, rubbing the back of his neck, his cheeks tinted pink, not from the question, but from his thoughts. They were still going /there/, and Natsu had no idea how to deal with them. Gray smiled and brought some tea to the table. "Are you wanting iced or hot tea?" Gray asked. He'd brought things for both, ice for chilled and of course the kettle for the hot tea. "I'll have some with ice this time, I want to try it," Natsu said. Gray nodded. He placed a cup of iced tea in front of Natsu.

The two ate their food. "Is something bothering you Natsu?" Gray asked. "Oh! Uh..no?" Natsu asked, sounding unsure. Gray frowned. "Alright...if you need to talk about something you know I'm always here to talk Natsu," he said, before patting Natsu's hand gently. Natsu let out a squeak as Gray's gentle pats sent shocks of what felt like electricity through the shorter male, he turned his wide eyes to look at Gray. "O-Okay," He stammered, his cheeks flushing a bit more, which caused Gray to smile and shake his head. Natsu was being cute, almost too cute.

The two finished their meal in almost complete silence after that. The plates were then placed in the sink and rinsed off before the two headed to the living room. "Did you want to bathe or shower before we head to bed, I think Erza said something about wanting to take you out tomorrow for some things," Gray said as he turned to face Natsu. "Uh...a shower would be nice?" Natsu asked, tilting his head to the side. _'Cute!'_ Gray thought to himself.

Gray helped Natsu into the shower, and he kept an eye on the other, of course, he wanted to see Natsu naked, and helping his bathe was sort of an excuse to do so, but Gray had a feeling one Natsu got his memories back _if_ Natsu got his memories back, they could go back to how they were. Or that was what he was hoping at the very least.

As the hot water splashed against Natsu he shuddered and let out a breath he had no idea he was holding. He had asked Gray to get him his pajamas, and the other had done so. After Natsu finished showering he smiled at Gray. "Um...d-do you think I could...sleep in your room with you?" he asked. "If you want to. My bed is big enough," Gray said. Natsu bit his bottom lip and kicked softly on the floor, before looking up and beaming. "Really?! Thank you!" he said, before promptly glomping the other male. Gray, of course, hugged back.

The two headed to Gray's room and got settled. Natsu on the side of the bed he constantly used, and Gray on his own. The ice make wizard smiled and shut the light off, within half an hour of laying down Natsu was asleep, his body curled against Gray's side. Gray had a smile on his face before he fell asleep, which was still on his face the next morning.

Natsu woke up first. He groaned, his body was so hot that he'd woke up covered in a thick layer of sweat. Natsu sat up and turned to the side. He felt a chill permeating from the other wizard, and grinned to himself. Gray was passed out, one arm above his head, the other across his chest. Natsu's eyes were dark with the heat coursing through him that he didn't really know what he was doing. He climbed on top of the sleeping wizard and pressed his lips to those of the other.

Gray was having a nice dream if the tent in his boxers was anything to go by, and the scent he was exuding was driving Natsu's senses wild! The pink haired man couldn't help himself as he leaned down and claimed the lips of the other in a searing kiss, nipping and biting to get them to part. The gasp that passed through Gray's lips, allowed Natsu to dip his tongue into Gray's mouth, which elicited a loud moan from the pink haired male.

Gray woke up as he felt something trying to go down his throat. He blinked a few times then looked up at Natsu. Natsu's usually vivid green eyes had darkened to almost black. Gray began returning the kiss before Natsu pulled away. "Graay!" Natsu moaned out, as he ground his hips into that of the other male, which caused a hiss and moan to fly from Gray's kiss molested lips. "N-Natsu!" Gray exclaimed.

Natsu giggled and kept rocking his hips into Gray's before he leaned down and began leaving hickeys all over Gray's neck and chest. Gray tried to get out from underneath Natsu, but the other managed to keep him pinned. He knew Natsu was strong but damn! "Natsu, stop you're not in your right mind!" He said, trying to no avail to 'awaken' the dragon slayer. Gray hissed loudly as he felt those sharp teeth piercing his flesh, and a moan escaped him as Natsu suckled and licked upon the blood seeping from the bite.

Gray blinked. Natsu had just bit him. Natsu. Bit. Him. Gray knew what that meant, of course, the two had been mated before the accident, but not to the full extent. They had wanted to wait. It seemed that Natsu's body wanted to claim Gray, and it did. Natsu growled huskily into Gray's ear as he ground his hips into him once more. Gray's hands snapped to the hips that were rolling against his groin, the ice users eyes darkening to an almost black color.

Gray was losing the fight to keep from ravaging Natsu. The scent he smelt from the dragon slayer was addicting. It was sexy, and Gray loved it! Gray managed to flip the two over, he held Natsu's hands above his head. He leaned down and licked Natsu's neck to the side, where he sucked on the flesh and left a mark. "I'm going to mark you up like you did to me," Gray whispered into Natsu's ear, before licking the shell of it. "Nnn.." Natsu moaned out.

The two spent a good while in the bedroom, biting, scratching, licking, sucking. Marking one another with their nails, mouths, and teeth. Well, the teeth part was mostly Natsu, but Gray covered parts of Natsu that weren't always covered in love bites. "Shit, fuck! Gray!" Natsu cried out as he was brought to completion in his pajamas. His face flushed a deep red, but the heat he was feeling didn't seem to ebb away. If anything it got much warmer.

Natsu pulled Gray down and kissed him again, which led to the other bucking his hips into Natsu. They stayed like that for a few hours, just making out like they were young teenagers with raging hormones again. Some hair pulling and some more biting later led to Natsu climaxing in his clothes again. He didn't complain, but the whimper that passed his lips caused Gray to grin crookedly. He loved all the sounds he could get Natsu to make.

Natsu looked as if he was ravaged, his hair was in disarray, his lips were bruised with a bit of blood on them. Not his own blood, but Gray's from him biting on Gray's lips to gain access prior to their heated make-out session. Gray grinned down at the smaller male. "You look so sexy like that Natsu," he whispered huskily, which caused Natsu to squirm and moan. Gray chuckled. "Did you like that Natsu?" he asked, looking at the man he loved.

"Y-Yeah..." Natsu said. "I'm all sticky...and I need a shower," he said, his face red from their activities as well as how warm he was. The heat seemed to have died down a bit, for the time being, he only hoped that it would stay down for awhile. He felt fine, well more than fine. Natsu's body loved all the touches, and dry humping he and Gray had done. It had liked it all a lot, and that made Natsu's head feel as if he forgot something. Which he had.

"Alright then, upsy daisy," Gray said, picking Natsu up and carrying the sticky male to the bathroom. "You're so cute when you're all flustered. You know that right?" Gray teased. "W-Whatever popsicle!" Natsu exclaimed while squirming. All the wetness in his boxers and pajamas was making him feel really slimy. He didn't mind at first, but now he felt gross. "I'll wash your clothes for you, I had to do laundry today anyway," Gray said with a chuckle. "O-okay...I'm s-sorry for molesting you G-Gray," Natsu said with an embarrassed blush.

"It's fine Natsu, nothing to worry about. Your body is doing its thing, and it's alright," Gray said, smiling. Of course Gray loved the touches, he loved everything about the pink haired fire user. From his dimples to his explosive personality. Sure they butted heads when they were younger. They were best friends, rivals, and lovers. Of course Gray knew this, and he hoped against everything that Natsu would remember someday...hopefully soon.

After Natsu bathed, he got dressed, then Erza showed up. "You ready to go Natsu? I wanted to take you out to get some things you're going to need. Like clothes and food," she said. "Y-yeah, I'm good to go!" Natsu said he wore a wide smile, with moderately flushed cheeks still. "I'll have him back by two Gray," Erza said. "I know I can trust you with him Erza, but remember his memories are hazy still. No pressuring him please," Gray said to Erza, Natsu might have been at the end of the walkway to out of the yard, but his dragon slayer hearing allowed him to hear everything said.

"I know Gray, I just hope that his memories come back soon, not just for you, but for all of Fairy Tail, we all miss our little fireball," Erza said endearingly. "Hell, even Juvia misses him around the guild. It's so quiet," she finished. "Yeah, I know about the quiet, but I believe in Natsu, and I believe in what he and I had before the accident. I believe it will come back, and honestly I can't wait," Gray said. Erza smiled. "Take care of yourself while we're out Gray," she said before she joined Natsu.

Gray headed back into the house after the two left, and he began washing the laundry. He smiled as he washed a load of his and Natsu's clothing mixed and thought back to the days when he and Natsu always fought. It was really their way of trying to deal with how they felt, without actually saying they loved one another. They showed one another they meant a lot by all the fighting.

Every ruse and every taunt. They'd goaded one another. Their needs and wants came to the surface, but they were too stubborn to say anything for the longest time. As the clothing washed, Gray found himself thinking about the future and what it could possibly hold for them. Would they adopt kids? Would they want kids? What would happen? He had a ring stowed away already, it had belonged to his father. It was one of the last things Silver had given him before he finally faded after his necromancer controller had been defeated. He was going to give it to Natsu, well, as long as he got the chance to.

Natsu and Erza were at the mall. Erza had wanted to get Natsu some more casual clothes, so he wasn't always in the same sort of clothes all the time. "So, Natsu I'm going to buy you some clothes for spending your downtime in, alright?" Erza said. "Y-yeah, it's fine E-Erza," Natsu said. Even when she was being nice she could be intimidating. "After we shop for a bit, we can stop and get a snack or something," she said, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Alright!" Natsu said, grinning, and with that Erza dragged the poor boy to shop after shop. She managed to get him some new pajamas, and some combat boots as well as some pants, but he tended to stick to his normal looking attire. Same style pants, vests and coats similar to how they'd always been.

Erza didn't complain, she smiled and purchased the things for him. Natsu smiled as he carried the bags, they were his new things after all. The two of them spent an hour looking around, and then they had a small lunch. Erza got Natsu a piece of her favorite cake, and the two of them chatted for a bit. "So Natsu, what's it like living with Gray?" she asked. "It's...nice," Natsu responded.

"Do you like it? Is he treating you well?" Erza asked. "I-Yeah I do...and yes, he treats me very well. Probably better then I deserve really," Natsu said, smiling at her. His smile is why she doesn't put her fist through the table top, that and she really didn't want to explain why she broke a mall table, or pay for it. "Good, if he ever doesn't you come to Lucy or I and tell us okay?" Erza said. "You got it," Natsu said. After they finished eating, Erza took Natsu back home.

Gray had just finished folding and separating all the laundry when Natsu and Erza got back. "I'm home!" Natsu called out. "I'm in the laundry room!" Gray yelled back. Erza smiled, the house really felt like a home. The two of them made a good couple, and she really hoped Natsu's memories came back soon, as did most of the guild members.

Natsu took his new stuff to his room and placed the bags on the floor. Happy was staying with Wendy and Carla at Fairy Hills for a few days, mainly because Happy knew the heat Natsu was going through would probably make him want to bend over for Gray at any given time. Happy did not need or want to see that! "Alright, I'm going to head out now, you two behave!" Erza called out before they would hear the front door closing. Natsu walked into the laundry room and smiled. "Do you need help?" he asked. Gray chuckled. "Yeah, these sheets are sort of a pain in the ass to fold by myself. Thank you Natsu," he said. "Anytime Gray!" Natsu laughed and helped Gray with the sheets.

The two of them made quick work of the rest of the laundry. They piled it up in organized piles. It wasn't really surprising, Gray knew Natsu was really someone who would rather keep his living space clean rather than trashed. He was glad he's the one who got him, even if for the time being they were merely friends, though Natsu seemed to be getting really, really handsy lately, and what was with those fiery passion-filled kisses anyway?

As much as Gray wanted to ask, he really didn't want to pressure Natsu into anything. Natsu initiated the kisses, and most of the heavy dry humping they'd done earlier in the day, Gray didn't want to question it. He'd let Natsu touch, kiss, bite and mark him as much as he wanted, as long as he didn't try to top. Gray wanted Natsu to be in his right mind if that were to happen.

Natsu hummed a soft song as he took his clothes to put away. Gray smiled and took his own to his bedroom to put away as well. Natsu pulled out some chicken breasts and potatoes for supper. He was planning on making chicken strips and mashed potatoes. He really hoped Gray liked it. The two of them met up in the kitchen and sat for awhile. "So are you okay with whatever I have planned for supper Gray?" Natsu asked. "Yeah, as long as it's not ten star spicy, we're good," Gray said. Natsu nodded. "I wasn't going to make it hot, just some chicken strips and potatoes really," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Gray smiled. "That sounds great, I can't wait to try it," he said, causing the other to blush and laugh a bit. Gray stood from the table and headed into the living room, where he'd pick up a book and begin reading while Natsu cooked. Natsu chopped the chicken into decently sized strips and cubed the potatoes. He placed a pot of hot water with salt to boil for the potatoes, then he grabbed a smaller pan and put oil in it. He grabbed some flour, salt, pepper, garlic and onion as well as a few other seasonings. Then he began breading the chicken. Once the oil was hot enough Natsu would use some tongs to place five strips in the pan at a time.

As the strips would finish, Natsu would place them on a rack over a plate with a paper towel on it to catch the dripping oil. He hummed some more as he danced to music only he seemed to hear. On occasion Gray would glance at Natsu, to make sure he was alright, and he'd smile, then go back to reading.

"The food is done Gray," Natsu said. Gray nodded and placed his book down on the table before he stood up and joined Natsu at the dining table. "I hope you like it," Natsu said. Gray smiled. "I'm sure it will taste as good as it smells Natsu, thank you for cooking it," he said. Natsu blushed deeply and poked his pointer fingers together for a moment. Gray shook his head and chuckled before he began eating his food.

The flavor was explosive, the chicken was juicy and tender, and the potatoes were just perfect. Gray knew Natsu probably knew how to cook from before, but he never thought he'd be this good, given that he used to always eat at the guild. Gray chuckled and shook his head to bring himself out of his thoughts, which earned him a tilted head look from Natsu. "You alright ice block?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry if I worried you flame brain," Gray said.

The two enjoyed their meal, then they washed the dishes and headed to the living room to watch some television before they'd head off to bed. Natsu would once more join Gray, having loved how he felt when he woke up in the ice users arms. Though he'd keep that tidbit to himself.

After they watched a spy movie, the two would take separate showers and get ready for bed before laying down together. Natsu would curl up against Gray's back, and Gray would hold Natsu loosely. Whenever Natsu needed comfort, Gray was there. Whenever Gray needed comfort, Natsu was there. They were always there for one another, and they always would be.

* * *

**This is one of the last few chapters of this rewrite, how is it so far? Good, bad?  
**


	12. Of Fishing and Acting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Are the boys alright being used as the main pairing in a stage play...is it coincidence or not?

**Recap: _After they watched a spy movie, the two would take separate showers and get ready for bed before laying down together. Natsu would curl up against Grays back, and Gray would hold Natsu loosely. Whenever Natsu needed comfort, Gray was there. Whenever Gray needed comfort, Natsu was there. They were always there for one another, and they always would be._**

* * *

The two men sat together as the movie played. The night got cooler and cooler, the chill in the air seeping through the open window in the living room. The chilly early spring night air causing Natsu to shiver and curl himself into Gray's side. Gray smiled, wrapping an arm loosely around Natsu's shoulder. "Do you want me to shut the window Natsu?" he asked. "Uh...n-no it's fine...I like the smell of early spring I think?" Natsu said, remaining curled into Gray's side.

Gray chuckled and held Natsu. "Alright, but if you get too cold just let me know and I'll shut the window okay?" he said. "Yeah," Natsu said. The two of them sat in silence after that, watching movies as they came on television. The two of them lost track of time as they sat and watched the various spy movies that came on. They'd laugh and chat during the commercials but then go back to being quiet as the movies played. Eventually, it hit four in the morning, which was when the infomercials began playing.

"Oh wow, it's that time already?" Gray said with a chuckle. Natsu yawned and stretched. "Should we get to bed then?" Gray asked. _Yawn._ "Yeah...probably," Natsu said as he sat up entirely, he shivered as he pulled away from Gray's warmth. He grinned lopsidedly at Gray before standing up. "See you in the morning ice block!" He said. "Yeah, see you," Gray said he stood up, followed by Natsu. Natsu got up on his tip toes and presses his warm lips to Gray's cheek. "Good night," he said before heading to his room.

Gray stood in the living room and touched where Natsu's lips had pressed against his cheek. He grinned before he headed to his own bedroom. He stripped down to his boxers and opened his windows before laying down as the scent of spring washed over him and filled his bedroom.

Natsu fell onto his bed and started snoring almost instantly, the warmth in his room wrapping around him like Gray's arms whenever they shared a room. Natsu let out a soft growl as he curled into the pillow that smelled like Gray.

Natsu awoke sometime later before the sun was rising over the horizon and he crawled into bed with Gray. Natsu curled against the other, burying his head in Gray's bare chest. Gray awoke slightly when the bed dipped down as Natsu joined him. Gray moved into a more comfortable position as Natsu curled against him, he buried his face in Natsu's hair. Grays arms loosely held Natsu as he went back to sleep.

The two boys slept well into the morning, but Gray stirred first. He smiled at Natsu, before slowly slipping out of bed to head to the kitchen. He was going to make hash browns, omelets, and bacon for breakfast. He got to work as soon as he entered the kitchen, cracking a total of five eggs into a bowl, before adding some milk, salt, pepper and then taking a whisk to the eggs.

He hummed a tune to himself as he moved around the kitchen. He began frying up the bacon. He knew Natsu liked it crunchy, so he'd try to cook it to that point.

Natsu woke up when he began smelling food. "Mmm!" he hummed as he sniffed. He sat up and blinked. _'I wonder when I came in here...'_ Natsu thought to himself as he got off the bed and headed towards the mouthwatering scents wafting through the air. "Something smells great!" Natsu said he grinned while still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Did you sleep well?" Gray asked. "Yeah, I don't know how I got into your room, sorry," Natsu said, rubbing the back of his neck with a blush. "It's fine really, no sweat," Gray said, which caused Natsu to smile. Gray filled a pan with the eggs, once he flipped it he'd add some cheese and a lot of chopped vegetables. Once the omelette was done, Gray would cut it and place half onto one plate, then the other half on a second one. He'd add some bacon, two pieces of toast which he thought of at the last minute. Once he finished frying up the hash browns he'd then carry the two plates to the table.

"Alright, I hope you're okay with orange juice to go with breakfast," Gray said. "That sounds great!" Natsu said. Happy flew in through the window, and landed next to Natsu, he landed on the table. "How was Charla, Happy?" Gray asked. "She got mad at me, so I left. I thought she'd like the fish," Happy said dejectedly. "I'm sorry little buddy, maybe when we go fishing you can catch her an even better fish!" Natsu said. "Aye!" Happy said, suddenly perking up.

"Oh yeah, we're supposed to go fishing today," Gray said suddenly. "After we finish eating, we'll all head to the fishing spot," he finished. "Sounds like fun," Natsu said. "Aye, sir!" Happy exclaimed. The three of them ate breakfast, Gray gave Happy some of his food as Natsu sort of devoured his like it was going out of style, which of course, was normal.

"Alright, we'll meet here in the living room once we're all ready to go," Gray said. "Aye!" Happy said before he dragged a seemingly blushing Natsu off to his bedroom."Come on Natsu, get ready! We need to fish!" he said, which caused Natsu to laugh a bit. Natsu put his clothes on and he and Happy went into the living room.

Gray pulled on some pants, his combat boots, and a button up shirt before he went to the living room himself. "Are we all good to go?" He asked. "Aye, sir!" Happy said the cat had three fishing poles with him. If Natsu had his memories he'd probably laugh at the idea of Gray fishing, he always turned the invitations down before.

The three of them made their way to a nice fishing spot. The waterfall was nearby and they were away from the hustle and bustle of the middle of town where their house happened to be. Natsu stole a glance of Gray as the ice user had somehow lost his shirt already, it lay forgotten on some sidewalk on the path onto the way to the spot they were at.

The sun was high in the sky, the boys and cat got out of the house around eleven, and they arrived at the fishing spot at roughly noon. The trees shaded them from the intense rays of the sun, but as it was early Spring it wasn't too hot, nor was it too cold. Both the dragon slayer and the ice user loved the current temperature. Happy flew around and looked for a good spot for the three of them to fish from.

"Natsu! Gray! Over here!" Happy called out. The place he found was close to the water, but there were trees shading the area completely. "Good eye buddy!" Natsu said, grinning. Gray looked over at Natsu and smiled as he saw the happy grin on the face of his love. The two of them walked over to Happy and sat down.

Natsu sat between the exceed and Gray on the ground. He smiled as he looked between the two. Happy was focused on the task at hand, he wanted to catch a nice fish for Charla! Gray seemed focused as well, he kept his eyes on his fishing rod, they'd have some sort of fish dish for lunch and dinner probably. Natsu looked over at Gray's face, and tilted his head. His eyes became unfocused as a memory hit him.

* * *

_"Come on Gray! It'll be fun I promise!" Natsu called out to his best friend. "Shut it ash for brains! I don't want to go fishing with you, it's stupid!" Gray growled out. "Popsicle breath!" "Pea brain!" "Ice block!" "Flame breath!" the two boys were in one another's faces by this point, Happy was floating around near them with a sweat drop on his head. "That's ENOUGH! Gray you will go fishing with Natsu, and that is final!" Erza yelled. "A-Aye!" Gray said, before he and Natsu plus Happy headed out._

_"Stupid flame breath..." Gray grumbled, but he couldn't help but smile a bit. "It better be fun fire breath, or so help me!" He said, in a mock threat. "It will be Gray!" Happy said. "Natsu and I always go fishing together, and he wanted to invite you," he explained. Gray's eyes widened. "Why would he invite me and not Lucy or Lisanna?" Gray asked. "Because Natsu and you have been friends for a long time now," Happy said. "I think there's another reason. It's not often but-..." Happy leaned to whisper something to Gray who sputtered and blushed a bit._

_"I didn't need to know /that/ Happy!" Gray yelled at the exceed before beginning to chase him. "Naaatsssuuu help meeee!" Happy exclaimed as he flew from Gray as Gray show various ice make things at him. "Evasive tactics! Evasive tactics!" Happy yelled, Natsu laughed a bit as they moved towards the fishing area._

* * *

The memory faded into another, it was something shortly after they began fishing this time.

* * *

_"Aww come on Natsu, don't be such a spoil sport just because I can beat you even at fishing," Gray said, his arms crossed over his bare chest. "Yeah?! Well at least I can keep my clothes on you perverted popsicle!" Natsu yelled, tears shining in his eyes as he bolted from the spot. They'd apparently all caught a great deal of fish, but Gray caught the biggest one of all. "S-stupid Gray!" Natsu yelled as he beat on a tree with his bare fists._

_"Natsu! There you are!" Happy said as he flew down to his friend's side. Natsu had tears going down his face as he slumped to the ground. No one but Happy knew about this side of Natsu the side that felt something for Gray. "I need to stop this Happy, I can't...I can't anymore...it hurts," Natsu said as he hugged the blue cat._

_"It's okay Natsu.. why don't we go on a mission or something to clear your head?" Happy offered. "Y-yeah...let me clean up first, it...wouldn't look right if I looked like this when I get to the guild," Natsu said._

* * *

Natsu's eyes widened as he was brought out of the memories from a strong tug at his pole. "Ack!" He said as he flew into the water and landed on his back. "Natsu!" Gray and Happy cried out. Natsu looked at them and burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Oh my gosh!" Natsu said as he laughed and stood, the water dripping down. Gray shook his head, and Happy giggled a little. This is what a fishing trip should be like.

Happiness.

Laughter.

Friendship.

Gray smiled. Happy had already caught a lot of fish, Gray had caught a couple as well, he placed his pole down on the ground and ran to the water's edge. "You alright Natsu?" he asked, offering the sopping wet pink haired male a hand out of the water. Natsu grinned up at him and clapped his hand down into Gray's. "Yeah, I feel GREAT!" he said as he flung the other man into the water.

"What the hell NATSU!" Gray yelled as he hit the water. As he came back up he'd swim over to Natsu and tackle him into the water with a resounding SPLASH! "Oi ice block!" Natsu said his face flushing from the proximity of the other, as well as the fact that Gray had managed to lose his pants. Of course, Natsu liked the view. A soaking wet Gray Fullbuster sitting on his chest in nothing but boxer shorts.

Naturally, Natsu's face lit up like a Christmas tree. His cheeks were a deep crimson. Gray grinned down at Natsu, who was just as soaked as he was. "You know, I've always found that expression cute," Gray said. Natsu squirmed and blinked. He tried to escape from Gray's hold, but the other male had him pinned in the shallow water.

Natsu gasped as his eyes glazed over again. _'Another?!'_ he thought to himself as he was brought into something from the not too distant past.

* * *

_Gray was holding Natsu's wrists down as he pinned the other male to the ground. "Well I caught you, now what should I do with you?" Gray grinned, causing Natsu to gulp and flush. "G-Graaay!" Natsu whined as he looked into the blue eyes of his best friend slash rival slash love interest whom he'd yet to admit to. "You look cute like that," Gray said before he leaned closer and closer to Natsu's face._

_Natsu could feel Gray's chilly breath on his face, he could smell the mint and cigarette smoke on his friends' breath. He let out a very unmanly squeak as Gray did something unexpected._

_You see, Gray had leaned down and run his tongue along Natsu's neck and cheek before he got up, leaving a stunned dragon slayer on the ground. Natsu lay there for a few minutes which was long enough for the ice user to get a decent distance away. "GRAY FULLBUSTER YOU GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT! YOU'RE TOO FAR AWAY! GET BACK HERE SO I CAN ABUSE YOU!" Natsu yelled, his face was a crimson as he took off running after the retreating figure of the ice make user._

_The memory shifted and faded._

* * *

_"NATSU!"_ Gray called out, Natsu was seemingly unconscious. His eyes had glazed over after Gray had spoken, but he was too into pinning the other male that he didn't notice at first. _"Natsu!"_ Gray was shaking Natsu softly now, he'd carried the other out of the water and laid him on a blanket Happy brought with him. Natsu's eyes refocused and he looked at Gray and Happy, both of whom looked concerned. "What happened?" He asked.

"We don't know, you and Gray were horsing around when he suddenly dragged you out of the water and started yelling your name!" Happy said before he hugged Natsu. "Don't scare us like that!" he said. "I'm sorry little buddy," Natsu said as he hugged Happy back. "Gray your clothes," Happy said. "What!? How'd that happen?" Gray asked, before shaking his head. "Let's have lunch, roasted fish sounds good," he said. Happy and Natsu nodded in agreement.

That's how Erza found the three of them too, eating fire roasted fish off of sticks near the boys' favorite place to spar. "I thought I might find you here," she said as she leaned against a tree. Natsu blinked and looked at Erza, he had a fish hanging half out of his mouth as he tilted his head to the side. _'Kya! So cute!'_ Erza thought of Natsu's expression.

"The Master has a job for us, as long as Natsu is up to trying to work," Erza explained. "What kind of job is it?" Gray asked. "It's a simple one really, just that one guy from Onibus asking for us to act in a play for him again," Erza said. "It shouldn't be hard, and he doesn't care if we blow up the theater, in fact, he likes when we do that, as it brings more customers," she said, shrugging a bit.

"Sounds like it could be fun!" Natsu said. "Alright, let's do it!" Happy said. Gray chuckled. "Sure, when should we be at the train station by?" he asked, turning to face Erza. "We have a few hours, so you guys can enjoy your little picnic here, then meet us at the station," Erza said. "Alright, we'll be there," Gray said, before he turned back to flipping fish on the fire. "We'll be there Erza," he said. "You better be," Erza said before she left.

"Erza is...intense," Natsu said after the woman left. "You'll remember her soon I'm sure," Gray said with a chuckle. Natsu shook his head a few times. "I do know her, she's scary. What more is there to know?" he asked, tilting his head to the side, which led to his sopping wet hair to flop to the side. Gray chuckled. "There's more to know then that, just trust me. Erza is one of your best friends, she's also part of Team Natsu," he said, before holding his hand out to help Natsu stand up from the rocks he was sitting on. "Plus she took you shopping," Gray pointed out.

Natsu took the offered hand and Gray pulled him up. "Alright, let's pack up and meet them at the train. We shouldn't need much since this isn't a fighting job, but an acting one," Gray said. "Alright, I'll bring my bag and stuff..." Natsu said absentmindedly. Gray chuckled at Natsu's far off expression. "Oh, and to combat your motion sickness, you're going to be sitting next to me, my body temperature and scent seemed to calm your stomach in the past," Gray said. Natsu blushed a bit as he thought about leaning against Gray in a public transportation.

"You'll be okay Natsu, Gray wouldn't do anything you're not comfortable with," Happy said. Natsu grinned at the exceed. "I know... _I'm worried about what I'll do to him,"_ Natsu whispered the last bit to himself. Happy giggled a bit. "Everything will be fine Natsu," he said. "Alright!" Natsu cheered as the trio walked to their place to pack up.

Gray opened the door and Natsu walked inside. They went to their rooms and grabbed whatever they'd need for the easy acting job before they met in the living room.

"You all ready to go Happy?" Natsu asked. "Aye, sir!" Happy said, before flying around a bit. Gray was already in the living room, he had his white coat and black jeans on, as well as his combat boots, and what not. He smiled at Natsu and Happy. "I take it we're all ready for the job?" he asked. "Yeah!/Aye!" Natsu and Happy exclaimed. Gray chuckled and they headed to the door.

Lucy was at the station, she waved and smiled at them. "Hi guys! This is going to be so much fun! Team Natsu, back in action!" she giggled a bit, and bounced foot to foot. Erza showed up after the boys, and then they boarded the train. "Sit by Gray, Natsu. He can help you not get sick on the ride," Erza said. Natsu nodded and did so, sitting close to Gray. He laid his head on Gray's shoulder, and the ice user wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Nothing bad is going to happen this time Natsu. I promise," Gray said, Natsu tilted his head to the side. "Huh?" He asked. "Oh, nothing. Ignore me," Gray said, chuckling a bit. Natsu furrowed his brow, then shrugged. "Okay," he said, before closing his eyes and taking a nap while the train moved, all while Gray's scent wrapped around him and kept him from hurling.

The ride was relatively quiet, no muggers, no would be hijackers, and no explosions or malfunctions. Just a normal train ride. Erza smiled at the boys. "They're really quite cute together really. I hope Natsu remembers soon. He was...twitchy for lack of better description when I took him shopping," she admitted to Lucy. "Oh, were you being yourself?" she asked, wondering if Erza was being as intimidating as normal. "I guess?" Erza said, she really didn't remember.

 **"We've arrived in Onibus if this is your stop please take your things and exit in an orderly fashion,"** The announcement said. Gray smiled and picked up Natsu, rather than waking him. Happy carried Natsu's bag. "Alright, shall we get to the hotel now?" Gray asked. "Yes, let's go to it, and check in," Erza said. "We can wait for Natsu to recover before we go and get the scripts for the latest play," She finished, the tone of voice she spoke in caused Lucy to shake her head and laugh a bit.

The group arrived at the hotel, it was a nice one of course. Erza paid for the two rooms, and Gray carried Natsu into the room they would be sharing for the duration of the job. There was only one bed, but they were on a job, and they'd shared Gray's bed for the past few nights as it was.

While sleeping Natsu was reliving some memories. His face would break out in smiles, he'd sometimes laugh. Gray sat on the bed and watched Natsu as he slept.

* * *

_"Hey Natsu!" Happy said. "Naaatsu!" Happy said again. "What is it Happy?" Natsu asked as he was broken out of his staring, he was, of course, staring at Gray, who as usual was half naked. "You liiiiiike him!" Happy sang. "I do not!" Natsu said, burying his face that was crimson inside his scarf. Of course Gray would take the time to turn around and see Natsu hiding his face._

_"Yo! Flame breath!" Gray called out. "Shut up popsicle!" Natsu yelled back. Gray would smirk and saunter over to the table. "What's got your panties in a bunch ash for brains?" he'd tease. "Shut up you...good for nothing perverted streaking bastard!" Natsu yelled, before he'd turn to leave the guild. He really needed to figure out what was with these feelings! He couldn't fall for the ice block...could he?_

_Fire and Ice were opposite elements, meant to go together as good as water and oil, yet he and Gray had always had one another's backs. Could they grow to be more, or would that blow up in Natsu's face if he admitted things? He'd begun noticing Gray was attractive when they were still teenagers. Igneel had spoken to him about something regarding Dragons and Dragon Slayers before he left._

**_"Natsu, I need you to remember this. Dragons and Dragon Slayers only take one mate. The scent of your mate will both calm and comfort you in times you need it, and as a male and a fire user...well you'll have fun I'm sure,"_ ** _"What do you mean dad?" a smaller Natsu asked while climbing on Igneel. **"You'll know when the time comes Natsu, just be careful,"** Igneel warned. The dream shimmered and changed._

_Natsu was now standing outside of Gray's house, he had a letter he wrote. He bit his lip and went to knock. "Yo ash breath! Why you here?" Gray called out. "I wanted to fight you ice block!" Natsu lied as he hid the letter behind his back. Gray rolled his eyes. "Didn't you have enough earlier? I beat your ass, now get out of here before you stink up the place!" Gray yelled._

* * *

Natsu woke up, and groaned. "Welcome back to the land of the living fire breath," Gray said with a smirk. His arms were crossed over his clothed chest. "Erza and Lucy want us to get them once you're fully recovered from the train ride here. So let me know when you're good. Happy is with them, as usual," he said, before standing.

Natsu kept his eyes on Gray, he drank in every angle of the other mans face, before biting his lip and swallowing thickly. "I...I'm remembering some stuff..." he said, before wringing his hands together. Gray looked at Natsu. "Did you want to talk about the things you've remembered?" he asked. "Nah, they're all old things...Igneel teaching me, you and I fighting...Erza..being Erza..." Natsu said. "Alright. Well I'm here if you want to talk at any point," Gray said. "Okay," Natsu said.

After fifteen minutes Natsu smiled and jumped off the bed. "Alright, I'm good to go!" he said. "I'm all fired up!" he grinned and pumped his fist into the air. "Let's go then, we have to get the scripts to the play we're going to be acting in," Gray said. Natsu laughed. "Will we blow things up or destroy anything like gramps always says we do?" he asked. "Knowing us? Most likely, but that's okay. The owner of the theater likes that about us. He claims it brings more customers in," Gray explained.

"Oh good, you're ready," Erza said as she opened the door before the boys got a chance to knock. "I'm curious as to what we're going to be doing this time," she finished. "Me too!" Lucy said, she was clearly excited about the job. "Well then, let's get this show on the road!" Gray said with a chuckle. Natsu simply followed the group while Happy flew next to him. "It'll be fun Natsu, maybe it'll help you remember stuff!" Happy said. "I hope so little buddy," Natsu said.

The group arrived at the theater and were greeted by the owner. "Thank you, oh thank you for coming Fairy Tail Wizards!" he sobbed a bit. "I have this play for you, oh such a beautiful play! The love story is amazing, people love it!" he said. "We're here to get the scripts, and of course find out what costumes to use," Erza said. She really did like acting, no matter how bad she really was at it. Lucy giggled a bit as she looked over the script.

"Gray and Natsu seem to be the leads," Erza said as she looked at the man. "Yes, yes. I wanted the Sorcerer Weekly to cover the play, and they requested a same-gender couple as the lead. I'd heard about the Salamander and Ice Prince as a couple and I thought they would be perfect for it!" he said. "Of course, and the boys want to do it, don't you?" Erza asked, the evil glint in her eyes daring them to say no.

"Of course we do! It'd be our honor!" Gray and Natsu said with chuckles. Natsu looked at Gray and blushed a bit. "They really are quite cute together," Lucy said softly, which caused Natsu to hide his face in his scarf again. "Alright, we'll we'll look over the scripts and practice our lines tonight before we go to sleep. We'll be here first thing in the morning to get ready for the first showing. We're going to guess that it's tomorrow right?" Erza asked.

"Yes, yes...of course!" The owner said. Lucy giggled. "Alright, we'll head out now, take care. See you in the morning," Gray said as he steered Natsu away from the insane people. "Are you going to be alright acting like a couple with me on the stage for the next week Natsu?" he asked. "Y-Yeah...besides we get to practice in the room," Natsu said, which caused Gray to chuckle.

* * *

**This has been a lot of fun to redo, I know I say that a lot but I'm being honest.  
**


	13. Of Memories and Plays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The play the boys are stars in begins, just how well will this go for them?

**Recap: _"Yes, yes...of course!" The owner said. Lucy giggled. "Alright, we'll head out now, take care. See you in the morning," Gray said as he steered Natsu away from the insane people. "Are you going to be alright acting like a couple with me on the stage for the next week Natsu?" he asked. "Y-Yeah...besides we get to practice in the room," Natsu said, which caused Gray to chuckle._**

* * *

"Alright boys, no wrecking anything," Erza said. "Aye!" Natsu said, before biting his bottom lip. Gray kept his arm securely wrapped around Natsu's shoulder as the two made their way into the hotel and to their room. "Are you hungry Natsu?" he asked. Natsu looked thoughtful for a few moments before his stomach answered for him with a loud rumble, which caused Gray to chuckle.

"Uh...yeah I guess?" Natsu responded, he blushed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as his stomach rumbled loudly. "I bet the girls are going to pick something up for us to have for dinner. We should go ahead and head to our room to begin practice. We do start in the morning after all," Gray said. "Y-yeah," Natsu said, a bright smile on his face as the two of them made their way to the room.

They entered the room and sat on the bed together. They both held their scripts and began reading the lines as they saw them. They went through a great many scenes before coming to a kissing scene, for some reason Natsu was anxious about the kiss scenes, but not in a bad way.

_"I see the shine in your eyes and it reflects the love you hold for me in your heart. I know no matter how far we are apart, you will always love me, my prince,"_ Gray recited.

_"Yes. The light of my heart fire shines brightly in my eyes for you my love. I always will love and wait for you. Always,"_ Natsu responded, his cheeks flaring ever so slightly.

The two had to clasp their hands together and stare into one another's eyes. Gray smiled at Natsu as they held hands. _"Always my prince. You hold my heart,"_ Gray said as he leaned closer to the pinkette. _"You as well my love..my dearest. I miss you even now,"_ Natsu said, as he tilted his head up to meet Gray's as the script called for it. _"Now with a kiss, we bond,"_ Gray muttered, leaning ever closer. _"A bond of such caliber, could it be real?"_ Natsu's character asked aloud. _"Of course, our souls are one, my prince, forever and always,"_ Gray said before his mouth sealed itself over Natsu's.

At first Natsu's eyes widened, and he gasped, but as the gentle kiss went on he leaned forward. His arms wrapped themselves around Gray's neck, pulling the raven-haired male closer. Natsu's heated skin would press against the chilled chest of the other. Eventually, their scripts lay forgotten, falling to the bed and a few pages fluttering to the floor as the kiss went on.

One of Natsu's hands tangled in Gray's hair as the shorter male whimpered softly into the kiss. Gray smiled as the kiss kept going, but alas, eventually the need for air caused the two to part. Gray's chest heaved slightly as he panted, a smile painted on his face as he stared into the green eyes of the man he loved. He placed a gentle hand on Natsu's cheek, just in time for Natsu's eyes to glaze over, which caused Natsu to slump onto his side a bit. "Natsu!" Gray called out.

* * *

**_"Natsu, you need to listen to me my son,"_ ** _Igneel said, the large fire dragon was looking at Natsu as the young boy played around on his foot and tail. "What is it, dad?" Natsu asked, a carefree smile on his face. **"There are things in this world that will stop at nothing to ruin happiness. Don't let your happiness be ruined, and don't let it die. Do whatever it takes to stay happy. You hear me?"**_ _Igneel said in his commanding fatherly voice. "I understand dad. I'll make sure when I find it, to keep a hold of it always!" He said, a grin on his young face again._

* * *

Again the memory shifted. This time it shifted to Natsu finding Happy's egg.

* * *

_"Look what I found in the forest!" An excited Natsu said. "I think it's a dragon's egg!" He finished. "Oh wow, that's a big egg!" Lisanna said. "What are you gonna do with it flame breath, eat it?" a young Gray asked with a sneer. "Not that it's any of your business pervert, but I'm going to hatch it!" Natsu exclaimed. "Do you even know how to care for an egg?" a young Mira asked, a smirk on her lips as she sneered at Natsu._

_"You keep it warm," Lisanna said softly. "Oh, that's easy!" Natsu said, right before breathing fire onto the egg. "Stop! Stop before you cook it!" Lisanna exclaimed. Natsu stopped quickly and blinked. "W-what do you mean?" he asked. "If you use fire like that, you might accidentally cook it," Lisanna said before she spun around and said 'Take over!', she'd turn into a swan. "This will be easier for me to help you hatch the egg," she said._

_Natsu grinned. "Awesome!" he said, and with that, the two and egg made their way to the woods, where they'd build a little house out of sticks and rocks. Within a few days, the egg would vanish, only to show back up with a young Elfman._

_The egg hatched, and the guild members all watched in awe. A small blue kitten popped out. "Wow it's a kitty, and it has wings!" Someone gasped. "What are you going to name him?" Lisanna asked. "I'm gonna name him Happy!" Natsu said. "Aye!" Happy responded as he fluttered down and landed on Natsu's head.  
_

* * *

Natsu groaned as Gray held him, he had an icy hand on Natsu's feverish forehead as the other lay in the state he was in across the ice users lap. "Come on Natsu...wake up.." he said, looking down at the other male.

* * *

_"Natsu..." Gray's voice was echoing softly in Natsu's head as he lay on the bed. "Come on flame breath. Come and fight me!" he demanded. They were teenagers at this point. "What do you want stripper?!" Natsu growled as he and Gray clashed. "Fight me!" Gray exclaimed. "With pleasure!" Natsu yelled back, and with that, the two started a fight, which led to an all-out guild brawl._

_Poor Mira got nailed by a few flying bottles, a body, and a table, but she simply smiled and laughed as she kept doing her job._

_"Oi ice block I got you good that time!" Natsu grinned as he held up Gray's boxers. "Hey, you bastard give me my boxers back!" Gray yelled as he stalked off to attack Natsu again, only to have the other boy toss his boxers carelessly off to the side._

_Lucy had just gotten her Fairy Tail emblem on her hand. "Look Na-tsu..?" She said as she turned. "Hello miss, can I borrow your underwear?" Gray asked Lucy like it was a common question. "What no!" Lucy exclaimed. Gray shrugged it off and stalked off after Natsu, he'd then pounce on the other boy once again, they'd continue rolling around in the guild hall._

* * *

Natsu giggled in his trance-like state, eventually, his eyes would clear and he'd look into the worry filled eyes on Gray. "What happened?" Gray asked. "More memories," Natsu said. "Anything significant?" Gray asked. "Not much...aside from finding Happy's egg, and a bunch of us as kids, then teenagers fighting," Natsu said. Gray nodded. "They seem to be coming more and more," Gray pointed out. "Yeah, I know. I don't know if it's good or bad though," Natsu said. "I think they're good," Gray said.

The two would pick up their forgotten script papers and place them on the two side tables. There was then a knock at the door. "Gray, Natsu?" Lucy was heard. "I brought you two some food, if you're hungry," she finished. "Come in Lucy, the door is open," Gray called out, Lucy opened the door and walked inside. "Here you guys go, we got some take out curry and stuff. Extra spicy for you Natsu, and mild for you Gray," Lucy said as she placed the two large containers on the table near the table. "Thank you Lucy," Natsu said.

Lucy then left the room. "That smells really good!" Natsu exclaimed as his stomach rumbled again. Gray chuckled and grabbed the containers. "Here's yours, it's obvious by the plus ten on the top," Gray said, he handed Natsu the container. "Thank you Gray!" Natsu said with a grin. He grabbed his utensils and began digging in. He moaned as the hot food hit his tongue and went down his throat. Gray smiled as he ate his food as well. For curry, it wasn't bad. It wasn't too spicy for him, and he actually liked the flavor.

After eating the two boys would turn the tv on and flip channels until they found something interesting on.

* * *

_"1791 was the year it happened. I was 24, younger than you are now. But times were different then, I was a man at that age: the master of a large plantation just south of New Orleans. I had lost my wife in childbirth, and she and the infant had been buried less than half a year. I would have been happy to join them. I couldn't bear the pain of their loss. I longed to be released from it. I wanted to lose it all... my wealth, my estate, my sanity. Most of all, I longed for death. I know that now. I invited it. A release from the pain of living. My invitation was open to anyone. To the whore at my side. To the pimp that followed. But it was a vampire that accepted it." **(Interview With a Vampire 1994. Vampire Chronicles, Anne Rice)**_

* * *

As the movie got going, Natsu cuddled into Gray, the two of them simply laying on the bed as the movie played. Gray would smile, his arm around the shoulders of Natsu as they two of them enjoyed one anothers company to watch the movie. As a commercial for some random 'Magical Toothpaste' started, Natsu laughed. "I have to pee Gray," He said, which he squirmed a bit.

Gray chuckled and removed his arm from around Natsu, Natsu slipped off the bed and went to the bathroom, where he of course relieved his bladder. "Ahhh!" he said, quite loudly, which caused Gray to chuckle and shake his head. The movie was about to come back on. "Oi, Natsu! The movie is coming back on soon!" he called out. "I'll be out soon Gray!" Natsu called out. He flushed the toilet, then washed his hands before he looked at himself in the mirror, which triggered another memory. He groaned softly before slumping to the floor.

* * *

_"Oi Natsu!" Gray said, a grin on his handsome face as he held his hand out to the fallen Dragon Slayer. "Come on, even though you lost you shouldn't mope," he said. Natsu growled and slapped the hand away from his face. "Fuck off ice block! I don't need your pity!" he yelled, before he stood up and ran off, a small trial of blood following him._

_The group had been ambushed. That much was obvious from the destruction Natsu was seeing. There were small fires, chunks of buildings missing as well as bodies laying around. The people who attacked them were after one of them, or a couple of them. Maybe none of them at all, maybe they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time._

_Natsu grumbled as he found a dark place to sulk at, and nurse his wounds. He thanked Igneel for his quick healing ability, as well as his fire power. "Natsu! Hey Natsu!" Gray and Lucy were calling him, he could hear them. Rather then go to them, he moped a bit more. He was embarrassed...but he couldn't figure out why. 'Why the hell am I so upset about getting my ass beat in front of the stupid stripper?' he asked himself, his hands fisting in his hair and tugging a bit._

* * *

The memory shifted to later on in the guild hall.

* * *

_Natsu was sitting at the table his team always sat at, but he was alone. Erza had gone home, Lucy was in the infirmary getting her hand wrapped, and Gray was..well he was just there. Natsu and he were glaring at one another. "The hell is your problem fire breath?" Gray growled. "You are," Natsu said. "Wanna go?!" Gray asked, jumping up, he ignored his own injuries to try to goad Natsu into a fight. "You're on!" Natsu exclaimed, as he hopped up and over the table. He tackled the other male._

_The two of them rolled around on the floor for awhile before Erza walked into the guild and caught them. They had no idea though, they were too engrossed in their fight to pay attention to their surroundings. So when they were both grabbed and their faces were smashed together they were surprised. Honestly. "Crap!" Gray yelped. "E-Erza!" Natsu said, his voice soft. He was clearly scared of the redhead._

_"What have I told you two about fighting?!" She growled before tossing them to the side. Natsu hit a pillar and hissed, the cut on his abdomen had torn back open, but rather then stay and yell at Erza, Natsu picked himself up as hot tears cascaded down his cheeks, and ran out of the guild as fast as he could. "Wait, Natsu!" Erza called out, but was stopped by Gray's hand on her shoulder. "I'll go...I'm the reason we started fighting anyway," Gray said to Erza. Anything said after that was drowned out by the soft cries of Natsu._

_Crunch, crunch. Rustle, rustle. The sounds of footsteps hit Natsu's ears, as well as the scent of winter. "What do you want ice block?" he asked between sniffles. "You know...we'd probably be in better shape if we stopped fighting so much," Gray said, before he plopped down next to Natsu. He'd managed to lose his shirt and jacket before getting there, but his pants were still on somehow._

_"Y-Yeah..but we've done it for so long," Natsu said. Gray smiled as he looked at his best friend slash rival. "I know, we can still spar or something, but not brawl I guess? So Erza doesn't kill us?" he offered. "Y-Yeah," Natsu said, tears still on his cheeks, but he beamed a bright smile at Gray none the less. Gray couldn't help but smile back._

* * *

_**Knock knock!**_ "Natsu!?" Grays frantic voice could be heard a bit. "I-I'll be out in a second, sorry Gray!" Natsu said as he shook his head, by the time he exited the bathroom, the movie was not only back on, but he'd missed a good portion of it. "Sorry, another memory came," Natsu said. "Oh?" Gray asked. "Yeah, I seem to remember us being huge dicks to one another," Natsu said, a blush on his cheeks.

Gray chuckled as they made their way back to the bed. Natsu sat on the bed and waited for Gray to join him before he cuddled into the ice users side. Gray once more wrapped his arm around Natsu's shoulders as the movie kept playing.

They eventually got to a sad part, where the little girl and the woman she had Louis create to be her companion were slain. Natsu's lip quivered and he cried a bit. "T-that was so sad!" he said between sniffles. Gray rubbed small comforting circles on Natsu's back. "It's just a movie Natsu." he said softly, soothingly. Natsu nodded and hiccuped softly, causing Gray to chuckle softly. "We should practice the play some more, the normal scenes more then the kissing scene. I'm pretty sure we got that down," he said. Natsu nodded. "Alright," he said, before wiping the tears from his face.

The two picked up their scripts and began practicing. There were a few funny scenes they were in, as well as smaller dramatic ones. They only had a couple loving scenes aside from the six various kiss scenes. They practiced well into the night, once it became apparent that they were tired, the two of them went to bed.

Gray smiled as Natsu's smaller form pressed against his side. He sighed softly, what he wouldn't give to have Natsu back entirely already. Small bits of memory returning was good, but he wanted his full Natsu already, call him selfish. The two fell asleep comfortable, the room cool enough to keep Gray comfortable, but warm enough for Natsu to sleep as well.

* * *

Natsu's Dream (Memories)

* * *

_"Hey ice block!" Natsu said, he was blushing for no reason, or so it seemed. "What is it ash for brains?" Gray asked, he was clearly irritated. "Ugh, nothing, you prick!" Natsu yelled. **'God I was an asshole,'** Natsu thought within his memory/dream. "What's your problem with Gray-sama, Natsu?" Juvia asked. "None of your business Juvia," Natsu snapped, before stomping off. **'A huge asshole!'** Natsu thought again._

_The memories or dreams kept playing. It was weird, flashing from a child to a teen, then teen to adult. There were still times he couldn't fully recall, but he was getting there._

_"Hey, dad!" Natsu called out. **"Hello Natsu my son, is there something you needed from me?"**_ _Igneel asked. "Yeah, can we go flying?!" Natsu asked all excited. **"Of course. Hold on tight now!"** Igneel said as the two shot up into the air. "Yeah! Woo!" Natsu cheered loudly. They flew around for awhile before Igneel landed. **"I'm going to teach you how to do some of my magic Natsu,"** Igneel said. Natsu beamed happily as he heard the words. "I-really?! Awesome!" he cheered. **"Yes, now pull in a deep breath, then blow forward with all your might!"** Igneel said. _

_Natsu did so, but his flame was tiny and pitiful. Igneel chuckled. **"Keep trying Natsu, you can do it son!"** Igneel said. Natsu kept trying and trying. Eventually, he blew out a nice sized 'Fire Dragon's Roar' attack, which made his father proud._

The dream faded, to something more recent. It seemed as if it had something to do with the Fantasia Festival that Magnolia held every year.

_"Hey..Natsu do you want to go to Fantasia together? We already told the guild about us, so it won't be weird," Gray said, a blush on his cheeks as he smiled at his boyfriend. Natsu felt his heart flutter. The look in Grays eyes made him feel warm. He loved it! He wanted to feel more of that feeling._

_"Yeah, of course, Gray! We have a float to perform on as it is!" Natsu said with a cute chuckle._

* * *

Natsu woke up first the next morning. He wiggled his way out from under Gray's arm and blinked a few times. He looked at the ice user, and blushed. The fluttering in his chest, it was defineately a good thing! He knew that now. There couldn't be anything bad about loving Gray Fullbuster.

Natsu went to the bathroom and washed up, before getting dressed and ready for the day. He got bored while waiting for Gray to wake up, so he pulled one of the books he was given as a gift from his bag. He began reading it.

Gray roused about half an hour later, he sat up and yawned. "Good morning Natsu," he said, before he stood up and walked to the bathroom. He scratched his own backside as he walked, which caused Natsu to blush and laugh a bit.

A few minutes after Gray woke up the girls were at the door. "Come on guys, we have to get to the theater!" Erza's voice was heard. "We'll be right out Erza!" Natsu called out, he smiled as he set his book down and waited for Gray. Gray emerged from the bathroom dressed and ready for the day. "Let's go, it's day one of the play!" Natsu said with a grin. Natsu laughed as they walked out of the room.

* * *

The group of two males, two females and a cat all made their way to the theater. They were instantly dragged into individual dressing rooms and were changed, their make up was added, and they all had voice coaches. They were told what they needed to do, what not to do unless they had to, and what not to do AT ALL.

Of course, the theater was likely going to explode, they weren't Team Natsu without destroying something after all, good thing the theater owner liked when they went overboard.

The first showing was at noon, they met their other cast members and chatted, they all got to know one another, and they were also all told about the various signs of their needing to say a line. Erza of course was happy about acting, but everyone knew she'd freeze up on stage. It was a thing she did, she'd go all out for practice, and love every minute of it, but as soon as an audience was there she'd freeze up and then there'd be a lot of improvisations and laughter, but the plays always turned out good. This one would hopefully be better then the last ones.

"Alright, curtain call!" The owner said.

_"What you are about to watch is the story of two princes from two countries that were brought together for political reasons, but wound up falling in deep longing love with one another. They were represented mostly by an element, one of fire the other of ice. Opposing they may be, but entwined they are by destiny...thus the story begins,"_

* * *

There was a fight scene almost right off the bat, Gray's character was facing off agaisnt Erza's. They were duelling because Erza's character loved Natsu's, but Gray's was the one with him. Erza didn't freeze up too much, and she didn't muck up her lines too much either. The play went great. The audience laughed, cried and cheered at various parts of it, the actors and actresses all smiled proudly behind the curtain.

The scene the boys had practiced a few times finally came up.

_"I see the shine in your eyes and it reflects the love you hold for me in your heart. I know no matter how far we are apart, you will always love me my prince,"_ Gray saided.

_"Yes. The light of my heart fire shines brightly in my eyes for you my love. I always will love and wait for you. Always,"_ Natsu responded, his cheeks flaring ever so slightly.

The two had to clasp their hands together and stare into one another's eyes. Gray smiled at Natsu as they held hands. _"Always my prince. You hold my heart,"_ Gray said as he leaned closer to the pinkette. _"You as well my love..my dearest. I miss you even now,"_ Natsu said, as he tilted his head up to meet Gray's as the script called for it. _"Now with a kiss, we bond,"_ Gray muttered, leaning ever closer. _"A bond of such caliber, could it be real?"_ Natsu's character asked aloud. _"Of course, our souls are one my prince, forever and always,"_ Gray said, before his lips sealed over Natsu's.

Their hands remained clasped as they kissed. The audience cheered loudly as the narration started up again.

_"A kiss to seal a bond forever. The strength of that bond never weakening, nor wavering. The two princes were in such deep love with one another that not even death itself could tear them apart. Their elements while they were opposing, were joined, the two forever as one, and thus the story comes to an end,"_

* * *

The cheering got even louder, roses and other things were tossed onto the stage as the people who all acted in the play bowed and smiled. The theater was still standing, but that was because they didn't go overboard for once. Erza grinned, Lucy giggled and Gray and Natsu beamed proudly as their hands were clasped together. Flashes of light went off as pictures were taken, and stories were weaved.

* * *

**To be continued, the end for this story is soon, but it's not all about endings!  
**


	14. Of Interviews and Jobs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys get interviewed for Sorcerer Weekly, just how badly does this go?

**Recap: _The cheering got even louder, roses and other things were tossed onto the stage as the people who all acted in the play bowed and smiled. The theater was still standing, but that was because they didn't go overboard for once. Erza grinned, Lucy giggled and Gray and Natsu beamed proudly as their hands were clasped together. Flashes of light went off as pictures were taken, and stories were weaved._**

* * *

Fairy Tail Guild Hall, Magnolia.

* * *

Makarov had just finished watching the play Team Natsu was in via lacrima, a smile gracing his aged face as he did so. As soon as the play ended he cut the transmission off and went back to drinking. A lot of the guild members were in the guild hall still. They were mingling or interacting with one another. Various small arguments were common place in the guild.

As the night got darker the members all trickled out and to their own homes until it was merely Lisanna ad Mira left in the hall. The two Strauss sisters were cleaning up after the small little impromptu party the guild had earlier in the day before the play was shown. "Natsu and Gray are really cute together," Lisanna said, causing Mira to giggle and smile. "They really are, but seeing them in that play oh gosh..." she almost swooned. "Erza and Lucy are so lucky to have two really close gay friends," Mira said with a laugh.

"Let's go home sis," Mira said, smiling at Lisanna. "Yeah," Lisanna responded before the two headed out. The two chatted about how cute Gray and Natsu were together on their walk home. The crisp fresh air washed over them and moved their white hair around. Elfman was as usual at home already, having left much earlier then his sisters. He felt the need to make sure the house was safe for them when they arrived.

* * *

With Team Natsu

* * *

Natsu and Gray walked back to the hotel together after the play showings ended for the night. They had a week left of doing the play, so they had to make sure they were well rested and well fed. They headed into the hotel, and tried to go to their room, but were stopped by someone from Sorcerer Weekly. They wanted an exclusive interview with the 'Hottest Fairy Tail Couple', as he put it.

Natsu blinked at the very strange man trying to get him and Gray to talk. Gray looked at Natsu. "Alright...we'll do a small interview, but if you ask anything too invasive we'll ask you to leave, and if you don't-" Gray started. "I'll escort you off the premises personally," Erza said as she'd arrived to hear the chat. She gave the interviewer a glare that caused the mans knees to quake. "O-of course!" He said, with a nervous chuckle.

Gray, Natsu and Erza all walked into the boys room at the hotel. Natsu and Gray sat on the bed together, Erza stood by the door and the interviewer sat on a chair near the edge of the bed.

"Alright, question one. This is for Gray Fullbuster," the interviewer said. "What is the first thing that attracted you to Natsu Dragneel?" he asked.

"That's simple. I was attracted to his personality. He's always willing to go above and beyond for those he cares about," Gray said.

"For Natsu Dragneel. Do you feel that a purely physical attraction can maintain a good relationship, or do you feel that having friendship before a relationship is better at maintaining a loving relationship?" The interviewer asked.

"Um..I think having a strong friendship is a good foundation for a long lasting or eternal relationship," Natsu responded.

"For both of you. What is the thing you love the most about the other?" The interviewer asked.

"I love Natsu's fiery personality, and his protective instincts. I also love how he feels when I wrap my arms around him, and the cute noises he makes when I kiss him," Gray said, a smirk on his lips as he spoke because Natsu's face turned from normal, to light pink and by the time Gray was done speaking Natsu was darker than his hair, at least by three shades!

"I.." Natsu began before he bit his lip and looked at Gray. He of course noticed how handsome Gray was, his face heated up a little more as he thought. "There's nothing I love most about Gray, I think everything about him is perfect, even if he can be a completely infuriating bastard sometimes. I love him," he answered honestly, the words coming from his heart.

"What is the first thing you noticed about Natsu when you first met?" The interviewer asked Gray.

"The first thing I noticed was his hair. I initially thought about who would let their kid dye their hair pink," Gray chuckled.

"What is a habit of Gray's that you think is annoying, or you'd rather change for something else?"

"Uh...his stripping habit was annoying at first, but I really like it now," Natsu said, a smile on his face.

"How old were you when you had your first kiss, who was it with?"

"19 and it was with Natsu," Gray said.

"18, and it was with Gray," Natsu said.

Erza smiled as the boys were interviewed. She kept her arms crossed over her chest as she kept an eye on them. So far the interview was pretty tame. Especially when compared to the other interviews that Sorcerer Weekly had done in the past.

"Are you still as emotionally connected as you were when your relationship started? If not, what has changed?"

"Yes, if nothing else our bond has gotten even stronger," Natsu said quickly. Gray smiled. "As he said, our bond has grown even stronger, our love hasn't faltered for one another," Gray said, he kept looking at Natsu. Gray and Natsu were holding hands as they talked to the interviewer. Lucy walked into the room when Erza let her inside, she stood and watched the remaining bit of the interview.

"If there was one thing you could change about your life, what would it be?"

"Nothing, my life is perfect the way it is./my life is fine as is," Gray and Natsu said at the same time.

"Thank you boys, that was a great interview. Look forward to the next copy of Sorcerer Weekly," the man said.

"We will, thank you," Gray said as he stood. Natsu let go of Gray's hand and Erza stood off to the side as the door was opened for the man to leave. Natsu smiled at Gray and the others.

* * *

"Alright boys," Erza said. "Make sure you two get enough sleep for the play tomorrow," she finished. "Aye," Natsu said. _'There's Happy number two again,'_ Lucy thought to herself before she shook her head. "Where's Happy at Erza?" Lucy asked aloud. "He was looking for something to get for Charla," Erza said. Lucy laughed a bit and shook her head, Happy was still after Charla, and the she cat wanted nothing to do with it.

After Erza and Lucy left the boys room, they'd settle back onto the bed. "The play was fun Gray," Natsu said, smiling. Gray smiled back as he turned to face Natsu. "I agree, it was fun. Are you alright though? The interview didn't do anything did it?" Gray asked. Natsu shook his head. "No, I'm fine. My head doesn't hurt or anything right now," Natsu said. "Alright, as long as you're sure," Gray said.

Natsu laid back on the bed and put his hands behind his head. His abs were of course shown as he lay there, as well as a small bit of a pink happy trail that led into his pants. Gray's eyes followed the dips and crevices of Natsu's abs, down to the 'V' that was able to be seen. Natsu sneakily looked at Gray's body as Gray admired his, Gray was much too busy looking at Natsu to notice the look of focus on Natsu's face. Natsu fell into another memory.

* * *

_"Oi! Flame breath, what are you staring at?" Gray asked, a smirk on his face as he taunted Natsu inside the guild. "Nothing much, just a stupid stripper," Natsu said with a grin. "Is that so?" Gray asked. "Yeah, nothing but a stupid stripper," Natsu said, crossing his arms in defiance. "Wanna go?!" Gray challenged. "Bring it on, I'm all fired up now!" Natsu exclaimed, and with that, Gray would jump over the table and bring his fist down on Natsu's head._

_The two would roll around on the floor exchanging punches and kicks. Of course the fact that their groins seemed to hit one another a lot went unnoticed by them, but not so much by a few of the bystanders. Juvia was off to the side trying to cheer her 'Gray-sama' on, and the rest of the guild members simply shook their heads at the two males behavior._

_"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Erza yelled before she stalked over and broke the two apart. "If you two don't start behaving I'll take drastic measures to ensure you do!" She said, right before slamming their heads together, which caused their lips to touch, but neither boy reacted to it, they simply pulled their faces away from one another and shot apart after Erza took her hands off of them._

_"Why is your face red ice block, embarrassed for losing?" Natsu taunted. "OW!" he yelled as Erza brought her hand down on his head. Natsu was then sprawled on the floor, face down, and Gray started laughing loudly._

* * *

The memory faded to a more recent one it seemed.

* * *

_The sun was setting over the river. Gray was standing off to the side of Natsu, his hands in his pockets and his shirt left unbuttoned and open as the breeze licked at his pale flesh. "Look Natsu," Gray said, a smile on his usually impassive face as the color of the sky turned into colors of fire. "We're so cliche," Natsu laughed. "Our first kiss was during a sunset, and we've kissed a lot during a great many other sunsets," he finished._

_Gray nodded and smiled, a genuine smile at Natsu, their fingers were interlaced as Natsu took a hold of Gray's hand that was closest to him. Gray lifted their joined hands and pressed his chilly lips to the warm skin of the back of Natsu's hand, which led to the other man blushing softly, which elicited a soft chuckle from Gray, whose blue eyes danced with amusement, as well as love._

_"So, what are your plans for tomorrow Natsu?" Gray asked suddenly. "Tomorrow?" Natsu asked, he tilted his head to the side, clearly confused a bit. "You know, it's Valentines Day tomorrow. Are you going to the guild party?" Gray asked. Natsu blinked a few times before it dawned on him. "Oh, I forgot about that!" he laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Why you asking me on a date?" he asked, cheerfulness in his voice as his green eyes sparkled in the light of the setting sun._

_"And if I am?" Gray asked. "Then I accept. I'd love to attend the party with you Gray. Nothing would make me happier," Natsu said, a smile on his face. Gray squeezed Natsu's hand gently as he pulled the other close to him. Natsu tried to pull away, which caused Gray to grin. "Oh no you don't," he said with a chuckle. He merely grabbed a hold of the scarf around Natsu's neck and pulled the other close to him, before he leaned down and captured those succulent lips with his own._

* * *

Natsu gasped as he came out of the memories, he blinked his eyes a few times as he looked at Gray. Gray was still off in his own world it seemed. "Alright, well I'm going to shower now Natsu," Gray said. "Alright, I'll be here," Natsu said, as he turned the tv on and began channel surfing.

Gray walked into the bathroom and turned the shower on. He was happy with the latest things that had happened between him and Natsu, he could feel it, Natsu was going to come back fully...he didn't know when, but he hoped it was soon. He hummed to himself as he showered.

Natsu flipped channel after channel, bored. He couldn't seem to find anything on. Right before he was going to turn the tv off, he heard the Pirates of the Caribbean music, so he set the remote down and grinned. He loved these movies!

Natsu laughed a bit as he watched the movie, it got to towards the end before Gray walked out of the bathroom. "Bathroom is all yours Natsu," he said. "Okay," Natsu said with a smile, before hopping off the bed. He headed into the bathroom to shower.

Gray laid down on the bed as he waited for Natsu to finish bathing. He flipped to the food channel, mainly because the cakes on the screen reminded him strongly of Erza, the woman loved her cakes. He shook his head and kept it on the channel until Natsu emerged from the shower about half an hour later. "Cakes, really?" Natsu asked, causing Gray to look at him and gulp. There were trails of water cascading down the planes of Natsu's tanned flesh. They went along the dips and curves of the other males abs before vanishing into his boxers.

Gray licked his lips, Natsu had no idea how hot he was like that. "Are you alright Gray? Your face looks funny," Natsu said before his cheeks flushed softly under the gaze of the other male. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Sorry," Gray said, as he finally managed to tear his eyes away from Natsu's body. He knew Natsu wasn't doing it on purpose.

"We should get to bed, Erza would get upset if we sleep late tomorrow," Natsu said before he climbed into bed next to Gray. "Yeah, you're right," Gray said before he turned the tv off and clicked off the light. "Good night, Natsu," he finished. "Good night, Gray," Natsu said as he yawned cutely. The pinkette laid his head on Gray's chest after cuddling up against him. Gray gently wrapped an arm around the other. "Is this alright?" Gray asked. "Yes, it's...perfect," Natsu said as he nodded off, comfortable and safe in Gray's embrace.

* * *

Natsu's Dream (Memories)

* * *

_Gray was standing outside Natsu and Happy's house, his hands stuffed into his jean pockets, and his shirt off. Lost who knows where. Natsu ran over to him and grabbed his hand. "Come on!" Natsu said as he pulled the other male towards the guild they both called home. Gray chuckled as he was dragged along the path, Happy flying behind the two, cheering about how much the two of them loved one another._

_Natsu was walking funny, and his neck was covered in hickeys, but they were relatively well hidden under his scarf. The two boys walked into the guild, still holding hands. The guild had already been told about their relationship, so no one was surprised anymore. "Well if it isn't the hottest couple in Fairy Tail," Mira said, a smirk on her face as she caused the two to blush deeply. "Sis!" Lisanna said with a giggle. "What? It's true!" Mira said. "Man!" Elfman said, shaking his head at his older sister._

_The guild seemed to be getting ready for some sort of celebration or party. There were streamers, balloons and the tables were set up mostly around the perimeter of the guild, rather than like a giant lunch room. "What's the occasion?" Natsu asked. "What do you think?" Mira asked, smirking. "Oh! The fireworks festival!" Natsu exclaimed before jumping up and down a few times, causing Gray to laugh a bit._

_"We're going right, Gray?" Natsu asked, pouting a bit at Gray. He knew his pout and puppy dog eyes would get him anything from his lover. "Of course we are. I asked you a couple of days ago Natsu," Gray answered. Natsu cheered and hugged Gray tightly. "Awesome! I can't wait til tonight!" Natsu said, the excitement clear in his voice. Gray looked at Natsu, he wondered what the other male had planned for the night._

_"Well, if you two aren't too busy, is there any way I can get you two to help with the decorating before the celebration starts?" Mira asked. "I don't see why not," Gray said. Natsu nodded. "Yes, and once we're all done we can go get ready!" Natsu cheered._

* * *

_The boys helped with the set up, the stage and everything was moved to the back of the guild yard. They were going to be outside for the celebration. After everything was ready to go, Natsu and Gray headed to their respective homes to get ready for the fire works celebration. Natsu hopped into his shower and showered. He was thorough, but quick in his washing. He scrubbed his hair and body within a couple minutes of one another. After rinsing off he hopped out, used his fire to dry off then slipped on his yukata._

_No one had ever seen it on him before, the fabric was soft and silky against his skin as he dressed in it. He tied the middle portion correctly and then examined himself in the mirror. His messy pink hair framed his face, his lips were pale yet pouty and his yukata was mostly black, with a fire and ice motif on it, the color of various parts was a color that complimented his hair and made his eyes seem brighter._

_"How do I look Happy?" Natsu asked. "You'll knock Gray's socks off!" Happy said. Natsu laughed. "Well, let's go!" he said. "Aye, sir!" Happy cried out as the two made their way to the guild._

_Gray was outside, his attire was simple. A pair of slacks and an open shirt. He looked so handsome as Happy and Natsu made their way to him. "Hey, Gray!" Natsu called out, causing the other to look at him. Gray smiled as Natsu arrived next to him, and the look he was giving the other it was clear he approved of the clothing choice Natsu had made. "Shall we?" Gray asked as he offered his arm to Natsu. "Yes, lets," Natsu said, linking his arm with his boyfriends._

_They made their way out to the back of the guild and sat on one of the many blankets scattered around the ground. The sun was disappearing over the horizon, and the sky was growing darker. Natsu cuddled into Gray's side, the two of them held hands, their fingers gently linked together. Mira, of course, snuck around snapping pictures of the cute things the two were doing._

_After the sun completely set, the Master went up to the stage. "Welcome my children, let us celebrate this day in real Fairy Tail fashion!" he announced, and as he did so, some fireworks went off directly behind him. "Let's party!" he yelled, which caused the guild members to cheer loudly. Gray and Natsu got up for snacks and beverages as they watched the fireworks go off. "This is really nice," Natsu said, Gray smiled._

_The celebration went for a long while. The two were of course mostly with one another the whole night, but that didn't mean they didn't drink any of the alcohol that was being served. "Heey Graay," Natsu hiccuped and laughed, the dragon slayer had drunk roughly four whole bottles of fire wine as the night progressed. "Yes, Natsu?" Gray asked, his breath smelt of peppermint schnapps, which he'd also drank a bit of. "D'ya think we shoul' go home?" Natsu asked with another hiccup._

_Gray nodded and stood up, he swayed a bit, but he managed to help Natsu up, and the two of them stumbled home, to Gray's place. Natsu's laughter echoed in the hall as they entered and he was pinned to the wall, Gray's lips on his throat leaving a love mark. They shed their clothes as they stumbled to the bedroom, the trail stopping near the kitchen as the two collapsed onto the bed._

_By the time they got to the bed, the two were so tired that they passed out._

* * *

Natsu sighed in his sleep, and he curled closer to the cold body that was Gray's. Gray held Natsu closer, tighter and with love.

* * *

_Natsu woke up in bed with Gray, his head throbbing. He flushed but noticed they were both in their boxers, sure they weren't covered, but they were still a tangle of limbs as they lay there. Gray was snoring softly, his breath still smelt of peppermint and something that was uniquely Gray._

_Natsu reached out and ran his hand through Gray's hair, a smile on his face. He then leaned down and pressed his warm lips to Gray's forehead, causing the ice user to stir a bit. "Mmm, morning beautiful," Gray said with a yawn. Natsu laughed a bit, before playfully smacking Gray's arm. "Not beautiful," he said, pouting. "You are to me," Gray said, which caused Natsu's face to grow darker. "Sap," he said, teasing Gray._

_Gray chuckled. The two got up and Natsu headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. If Gray didn't already know, he'd soon find out his lover was a great cook, the other just liked to eat food prepared by others, it was mainly because most of the food he kept in his house tended to go bad while he was on various missions._

_Natsu prepared a good breakfast, by the time he turned around Gray was at the table reading a magazine. Natsu smiled and placed a plate in front of Gray, then a second for himself before he sat down. "I hope you like it," he said, smiling and blushing. "I know I will Natsu, you have yet to make something I didn't enjoy eating," Gray said with sincere honesty in his voice._

_"We should go on a job today," Natsu said. Gray looked at Natsu and nodded. "Yeah, maybe something for the group. An S-Class perhaps?" he asked. Natsu shrugged. "I dunno, we'll find out at the guild," Natsu said. "Sounds good. We should probably go our separate ways and get ready to head to the guild hall," Gray said. Natsu agreed. "Yeah, I don't have any clothes here yet," he said with a blush and a laugh while rubbing his neck. "Ah, but you admit there might be a time you will!" Gray said, which of course caused Natsu to blush deeper._

_Natsu headed to his place to change. Happy was already there. "Ooh Natsu did the dirty with Gray!" he yelled. "NO, I DIDN'T!" Natsu said, his face flushing crimson. "You liiiiike him!" Happy teased. "No. I love him!" Natsu said before he ran into the house to change his clothes. He then headed out. "Let's go Happy, we're going to go on a job today!" Natsu cheered, he had his scarf on this time, having seen the angry looking hickeys all over his neck._

_"Hey Natsu," Gray said, his hands were in his pockets as he waited outside the guild for Natsu and Happy. Happy flew in before them and went over to Wendy and Charla, where of course he tried to woo the she-cat. "Oh, Natsu, Gray! Good timing!" Makarov said. "Come on over here, I have a job for you two," he finished._

* * *

The dream faded a bit, and then Natsu was seeing the town, the battles with the lizards and the dark wizards. Then the hot spring, the cuddling on the train, and then the fire, the feeling of adrenaline rushing through his veins as he and Gray combated the fires inside the train car, then Natsu shoving Gray out into the other car, before the explosion.

"GRAY!" Natsu yelled as he sat up, clutching his chest. Gray shot up as Natsu yelled his name. "Natsu!?" He asked with concern, he turned the light on to find Natsu with tears in his eyes. "G-Graay!" Natsu said before he threw himself at the other male. Gray rubbed comforting circles on the other mans back, trying to comfort him. "Shh, Natsu it's alright. I'm right here. What's wrong?" he asked. "I-I...remember the train...the...explosion!" Natsu said as he clung to the other.

Gray blinked. "Y-You do?" he asked. Natsu sniffled and nodded. "Y-yeah," he said, biting his bottom lip. "I-I'm sorry...I shouldn't have just shoved you like that. You could have taken me to safety too, but I had...had to be the hero," Natsu sobbed. Gray kept rubbing Natsu's back gently, comforting the other male. "It's alright, you're alive, I'm alive. We're together still," Gray said, before he used one of his hands to tilt Natsu's head up, he captured Natsu's lips in a gentle kiss.

"Remember, we agreed we're stuck with one another," Gray said as he looked into the tear-filled eyes of Natsu. "Even if you can't remember now, I know in the future you will. I'll wait for you until then Natsu. I love you that much. You mean everything to me," he said. Natsu hiccuped and looked into the deep blue eyes of Gray. As he stared, he got more flashes but didn't lose consciousness this time.

Natsu kept his hands on Gray's cold skin, he sniffled and let the tears flow, but Gray kept wiping them away before he leaned down and pressed his forehead to Natsu's. He smiled and then linked their hands together. "I love you Natsu Dragneel. I'm crazy for you," he said. Natsu sniffled, before smiling brightly. He threw his arms around Gray and hugged him tightly, still sniffling a few more times. Eventually, the pinkette fell back to sleep, Gray held him as he nodded back off shortly after killing the light once more.

The next morning Gray was up and ready before Natsu awoke. He smiled as he looked at the sleeping male. Natsu stirred and sat up, he stretched and yawned before rubbing his eyes. "Mmn..." he said. Gray chuckled. "Good morning Natsu," he said. Natsu turned to Gray and smiled widely. "Gray..." he said, his voice soft as he looked at Gray's face, their eyes meeting. Gray smiled at Natsu. "Yes Natsu?" he asked. "I...remember," Natsu said softly, his voice barely a whisper.

"You remember? You mean last night?" Gray asked. Natsu shook his head. "E-everything...I-I remember it all," he said, his hands clutching the sheets as they pooled on his lap. Gray gasped. Natsu remembered! He smiled at Natsu, his eyes softening. "I'm glad," he said. Natsu looked at Gray and opened his mouth to speak.

* * *

**See, normally this would be a place to stop...but you're getting everything left before the first chapter of the sequel comes.  
**


	15. Of Love and Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Natsu remembers everything what else could possibly be in store for the couple?

**Recap: _"You remember? You mean last night?" Gray asked. Natsu shook his head. "E-everything...I-I remember it all," he said, his hands clutching the sheets as they pooled on his lap. Gray gasped. Natsu remembered! He smiled at Natsu, his eyes softening. "I'm glad," he said. Natsu looked at Gray and opened his mouth to speak._**

* * *

"I-I'm sorry Gray!" Natsu exclaimed. "I-I'm so sorry!" he whimpered softly. Gray frowned. "What are you sorry for Natsu?" he asked. "For everything, you've been suffering because of me, the pain you felt when you thought you lost me because of my memory problems," he said, turning a light shade of pink. Gray walked over to the bed and sat down before pulling Natsu against his chest. He rubbed gentle circles on Natsu's back. "It's alright Natsu," he said.

Natsu pressed into Gray's chest, taking deep breaths of his mate's scent, of _Gray's Scent._ His skin was already warm naturally on account of his fire magic, so his flushing just made his cheeks a deep crimson. Gray smiled as he held Natsu in his arms, Natsu sniffled for awhile but eventually stopped.

"Gray?" Natsu said into the bare chest of the other male as he was held. "Yeah?" Gray asked. "C-Can...I have a kiss?" he asked, lifting his face. As he looked at Gray he bit his bottom lip, which caused Gray to smile. "If you're sure you really want one," Gray said. "I-I am...I want a kiss from you Gray," Natsu said, his cheeks darkening a little more.

Gray smiled, he leaned down the few inches between them and pressed his cold lips to the warm ones of his lover. As their lips met, Natsu shuddered, the electricity from the simple touch of their lips making goose pimples cover the dragon slayers skin. Neither boy heard the door open, they were too wrapped up in one another at that moment in time.

When Lucy saw the two kissing on the bed, the sheets pooled on Natsu's lap, she smiled and shut the door to give them privacy. _'I hope Erza will be as understanding,'_ She thought to herself as she went to meet the Titania. "Where are the boys?" Erza asked as Lucy stepped into sight. "They're...uh occupied?" she asked, her cheeks a bit pink from the cute scene she'd witnessed.

"Occupied? Occupied how?" Erza demanded, causing Lucy to jump to the side and let out a soft shriek of terror. "They were...kissing," Lucy said. Erza blinked. "As in...practice for the play or otherwise?" she asked. Lucy shrugged, how was she supposed to know? "I'm not sure. Either way, the showings today don't start for awhile anyway," Lucy said.

Erza frowned and looked down the hall where the boys' room was. "As long as they're not destroying anything or fighting," She said, before heading towards the lobby to grab some food.

Gray pulled back after the soft kiss went on for a few minutes, the cute noises that came from HIS dragon slayer made him smile. "How was that?" he asked, smirking. "Wow," Natsu said, slightly breathless. "We should probably get ready Natsu, the girls are probably waiting for us somewhere knowing them," Gray said. "Yeah..." Natsu said, as he slid off the bed and stood up before stretching. His muscles flexed and moved as he got dressed.

The two boys then headed into the hall, then down to the lobby to see if they could grab something quick to eat. Natsu grabbed Gray's hand, which caused Gray to smile. Their fingers entwined, the two met up with Erza and Lucy in the lobby. "Good morning you two," Erza said, her eyes traveling down to their joined hands. She smiled.

"We have a couple hours to burn while we wait for the first play of today to start," Lucy said. "Alright, here's the plan," Erza said as she placed her hands on her hips. "We're all going to make sure we meet up at the theater an hour before the play is supposed to start, that way we all have enough time to get into our costumes and makeup," she said. "Alright! / Yeah!" Lucy, Gray, and Natsu all said.

"No getting into trouble, no making the guild look bad. Just enjoy yourselves til then. That's all," Erza said. The others nodded before the four of them went out. Gray and Natsu headed to a small market area and looked around.

They came across various vendors. Rings, necklaces, pendants. A red and blue crystal ring caught his eye. It looked like fire and ice, his and Natsu's elements. As Natsu was occupied looking at various dragon themed items at a stall nearby, Gray bought the ring. He smiled and pocketed it. He'd give it to Natsu whenever he worked up the nerve to.

"Gray! Gray! Look!" Natsu said as he grabbed the other boys arm and dragged him over to the stand with dragon items. "This looks like Igneel!" Natsu said, a bright smile on his face as he held up a small red dragon collectible. "Do you want it Natsu?" Gray asked, Natsu looked at the piece, then back at Gray before he nodded quickly. "Yeah," he said. Gray smiled and paid for the item. "There you go," Gray said.

Natsu threw himself at the other male, wrapping his arms and legs around the other much like an octopus would. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Natsu exclaimed into the chest of the other male. Surprisingly Gray was still fully clothed, well his jacket was gone, but who needed one in such fine weather?

The two walked around for a bit more, Natsu hugging the figure to himself, a smile on his face the entire time. The stopped by a couple food stalls and sat and ate. As the sun began lowering itself, the two knew it was time to head to the theater. They were the first to arrive, surprisingly.

Lucy showed up after they did, then finally Erza appeared. She had frosting on her cheeks, it was clear the requip wizard had found a sweets shop and indulged a bit.

Once they were all together, they headed to their dressing rooms and got ready. The theater was packed as usual, and the group all smiled. It even seemed as if Erza was getting over her stage fright, she'd not froze up all night!

The group received a standing ovation at the end, they were all showered with flowers and chocolates. Each of them having various looks on their faces, but the cutest one of all was Natsu.

His face was so pink it nearly matched his hair. His neck to his ears was flushed. He looked over at Gray, who grinned and waved at the audience as the others were also doing.

By the time the end of the night came, Natsu had been all but buried under roses and other flowers and gifts.

"Can we go yet?" Natsu asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Yeah, we can go back to the hotel now," Erza said, and with that, the group went to change back into their normal clothes before they headed out.

* * *

The week came and went rather quickly for the team.

"So, let me get this straight, you remember everything from before now?" Erza asked. Natsu nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry for how I acted while I was without them. All of you, I truly am sorry," he said, before bowing repeatedly.

Erza laughed a bit. "It's fine Natsu, don't sweat it," she said, clapping him on the back and causing him to go short of breath. Of course Gray was right there, ready to help his boyfriend.

The group boarded the train to Magnolia, as Natsu walked in, he gripped Gray's hand tightly, Gray pulled Natsu close and pressed a kiss to the messy pink locks. "It's going to be fine Natsu," he whispered as he soothed his love.

The ride was uneventful. No catastrophic failures, and Gray got to play with Natsu's hair the whole ride. Win-win if he could say so himself.

"You guys go on home, I'll report to the Master," Erza said. "Alright," Gray said, he had the sleeping Natsu in his arms. "I'll go with you Erza," Lucy said, and with that the women headed towards the guild, while the boys went home.

* * *

Gray smiled as he walked with Natsu in his arms, the ring he bought still nestled safely in his pocket. When they arrived, the ice user opened the door with a mild degree of difficulty, then kicked the door shut behind him. He then headed to the master bedroom, which was his, and now he hoped his and Natsu's. He laid the other on the bed and kissed his forehead before climbing onto the bed next to him.

He pulled Natsu against his chest and ran his fingers through the silky soft hair of the other. Natsu let out a contented sound, something that sounded almost like a purr as he nuzzled into the strong chest of his mate.

The two slept well past sunrise the next morning. Natsu awoke and smiled as he smelt Gray's scent, he nuzzled deeper into his mate and tried to remain asleep. Gray's arm was thrown over Natsu's back as the two cuddled. If anyone saw them, they'd think it was one of the cutest scenes they'd ever seen.

Natsu had his head nestled between Gray's shoulder and neck, his nose breathing deeply the scent of the man he loved, and who he'd chosen as his mate. In his sleep Natsu smiled, his smaller form curled into the older, slightly taller male. Gray had a soft smile on his face as well, his arm slung over Natsu, holding the other male close to his chest as his nose was buried in the light pink hair.

* * *

Natsu woke up first the next morning. He tried to sit up to no avail. Letting out a cute yawn as he opened his green eyes, he stared at the still sleeping face of Gray Fullbuster. The man who had always been there for him. Despite having known one another for years, Natsu's face still flushed softly.

"Mmm, morning Natsu," Gray said as he yawned a bit, before sitting up and stretching. Natsu wiggled a bit as he sat up, before he'd rub his eyes and yawn again. "Morning," he giggled as he moved over to straddle Gray's legs, before he leaned up and pressed his lips to Gray's, his cheeks aflame. _'So fucking cute,'_ Gray thought to himself, he smiled into the kiss and reciprocated.

Natsu pulled back and giggled as he looked at Grays still tired blue eyes. "We should go eat breakfast," he said before he'd go to scoot off of Gray's lap, only to have the ice user wrap his arms around Natsu's midsection, causing Natsu to squeak. "Eep!"

Gray chuckled. "Mm, as hungry as I am, I'd love to eat you up," he said, before licking Natsu's neck, causing the dragon slayer to make a very unmanly noise. "Graaaaay I'm huuungrrryyy!" he whined, before turning his puppy dog eyes on his mate. _'Don't fall for the eyes!'_ Gray told himself, but eventually he relented. "Alright..." he said. "Yaay!" Natsu said after Gray let go of him and he bounded out of the bedroom into the kitchen.

Gray shook his head. Natsu was being really cute, he wondered what was up. "Hey Natsu, are you feeling alright?" he asked after he joined his mate in the kitchen. Natsu had pulled out some sausage, flour, salt, pepper, heavy cream, and some other baking things. He'd turn his head to the side and laugh as he looked at his mostly naked mate. "I'm fine~" he said.

Gray sat down on a chair as he watched Natsu wiggle and bounce his way around the kitchen. He was making sausage biscuits and gravy it seemed, which caused Gray to smile. It was all going to be home made, as he could see by the many ingredients on the counter top. Natsu had a big pot that he'd begun putting cream into, on low so it wouldn't burn of course, then he added salt and fresh crushed pepper.

He grabbed some buttermilk that was in the fridge and gave it a sniff before he'd measure it and pour it into a mixing bowl, he'd then incorporate the flour, salt a little pepper and some other things before turning the mixer on low and blending everything together. He hummed and wiggled, Gray's eyes were on his cute butt as he danced about happy as he cooked.

Only Gray ever got to see this side of Natsu, no one else would ever see this side of his loving, adorable, cute, sexy and addicting mate, and if by chance someone did, he'd beat their asses.

Natsu turned to look at Gray and laughed. He tilted his head to the side at how intensely his mate was watching him cook. "Graaay~," he laughed again as he tried to get his mates attention. "Graaay~," he said again. "Loke is in the bathroom dancing naked Gray!" he exclaimed. Gray blinked. "WHAT?!" he growled before standing up, Natsu then began laughing louder.

"Gray, it's okay, he's not really here!" Natsu said. "I was trying to get your attention, and you weren't responding," he said, his head still tilted cutely as a small blush consumed his face. "Oh, sorry Natsu," Gray said with a chuckle. "It's okay, are you okay with biscuits and gravy for breakfast?" Natsu asked. "I'm fine with anything you cook Natsu," Gray said.

Natsu smiled brightly before he turned back around and grabbed the biscuits he'd stuck into the oven out. He grabbed the pan with his bare hand mainly because the heat didn't bother him at all. He was a fire dragon slayer after all. Gray chuckled and sat back down, shaking his head. Natsu was too much sometimes.

Natsu finished cooking the biscuits and placed them in a bread bowl, before putting a cloth over them to keep them warm. He then fried up the sausage and broke it up, before incorporating it all into the gravy he'd made. Once everything was done he quickly shredded some potatoes and frying them up. He hummed and wiggled his butt as he finished making breakfast. He split eight biscuits and placed them onto two plates, then he added half the potatoes onto each plate, before slathering everything in the gravy.

He carried the two plates to the table, before he sat down next to Gray. "This smells delicious Natsu," Gray said, smiling at his mate. "I hope you like it," Natsu said, a blush on his cheeks. The two began eating, Gray smiled as he watched his lover eat. Natsu was cute when doing just about anything to him now. Sleeping was one of his favorite things to watch Natsu do, no he wasn't creepy, he was just loving.

After they finished eating breakfast the two made their way to the guild hand in hand. Gray smiled as Natsu blushed as he looked around. He gave Natsu's hand a soft squeeze. "This is nice," Natsu said, which brought a broad smile to Gray's face. "I'm glad Natsu," he said. The two arrived at the guild hall, there was clearly sounds of thrashing, grunts, yells and groans going on.

The two boys blinked as they paused outside the doors. "Do we really have to go in there? It sounds like a war zone," Natsu said as he hide behind Gray instinctively. Gray frowned at Natsu hiding behind him, but he then chalked it up to Natsu being shy. He didn't think it had anything to do with the fact that it was Spring, and dragon slayers were like dragons in which they had breeding seasons.

The doors flew open, and a body flew out. Gray and Natsu stepped to the side as the body landed with a thud on the ground right where the two had been standing seconds before. Natsu squeaked and hid more behind Gray, still clutching his hand.

"Loke, what the hell happened man?" Gray asked the crumpled form of Loke. The other male was face down on the ground before he picked himself up. "Ah...um nothing! Nothing at all!" Loke yelled as he ran off as if the hounds of hell were on his heels.

"LOKE YOU GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!" A group of girls yelled as they chased the male. Gray blinked and shook his head. Natsu laughed. "Loke is in trouuuble," he said.

Natsu and Gray walked into the guild after the massive group of women chased after Loke. Gray shook his head, he would wager a guess that those were all of Loke's previous lovers, or women he'd had a fling with or something. He wasn't known as a charmer for no reason, the guy had a new girl or guy every couple days, sometimes a few a day.

"Oh Natsu, Gray over here!" Lucy smiled and waved at the two boys. They made their way over to where Lucy was. She was at a table with Erza, the red head was eating strawberry cheesecake, which had somehow stayed intact while the rest of the guild was seemingly demolished.

"So...uh Loke did this huh?" Gray asked as he sat down, Natsu smiled and settled onto Grays lap, curling into his lap, which made the raven smile.

"No, not Loke, but his various exes. Who knew girls could be so destructive if enraged," Lucy said nonchalantly. Gray shook his head. "Well, aside from Erza..." Lucy said as she looked at the other woman. Natsu laughed and kissed Gray's chin. "Mine!" Natsu said adorably. Gray chuckled as Natsu wrapped his arms around him. "Yes, I'm all yours," he said. Natsu beamed. "And I'm yours!" he giggled.

* * *

Mira smiled at the two boys. She was happy to see Natsu and Gray being loving together again, especially after everything that had happened. The accident, it hadn't just effected them, it had effected the guild as a whole. Without Natsu, the guild was devoid of light.

Natsu was a brightly burning light, one that belonged with Gray Fullbuster.

While it's true that the two were opposite elements, but they'd been friends since they were children. Mira even remembered back when Natsu was first brought to their family, she was such a little bitch back then when she thought about it.

She was nothing but mean to Erza, but they were good friends now, everyone in the guild was. They were like one big, giant albeit dysfunctional, but a family none the less.

There had been many times the guild had problems. Such as when the Thunder Legion tried to take over, and the guild was forced to fight among itself. The women had been turned into stone and all that.

There was also the time Phantom Lord attacked, but they got Gajeel and Juvia to join after Phantom was disbanded.

Not to mention the other times the guild was destroyed, blown up, set on fire...Mira giggled to herself as she shook her head and did the dishes.

The Master had been the leader three times. The first time, he became the third guild master. Then again and again.

Big events led to various things happening in the Fairy Tail family. Mira smiled fondly at the various memories.

* * *

Natsu nuzzled Gray before biting the lobe of his ear gently with a soft growl, which caused the other to shiver. "Natsu," Gray whispered, his cool breath ghosting over the flesh of Natsu's neck, causing the shorter male to giggle. "Yess?" he purred out. "Behave," Gray warned, hissing as Natsu 'innocently' ground his hips into Gray's lap. "I am behaving," he singsonged.

Gray growled a bit at Natsu's ministrations. The smaller male was teasing him, and it was taking all his will power to not ravage the pinkette then and there. They were in the middle of the guild. Natsu was clearly enjoying himself as he kept teasing his mate, a cute yet devious grin on his face.

"Are you alright Gray?" Lucy asked. "F-fine Lucy," Gray said, only partially managing to speak. Natsu laughed, he looked completely innocent, but it was very clear to his mate, that he was far from it!

Natsu kept teasing Gray for about half an hour before the other male growled, stood up, slung Natsu over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and ran out of the guild.

The last thing anyone heard from Natsu before the two were out of sight was an insane amount of laughter.

Lucy blinked, she looked at Erza who had a similar look on her face. "Did...they just?" Lucy asked aloud. "Yes. Yes they did," Mira said, giggling.

Lucy's face turned a deep crimson. "They're so naughty!" she exclaimed, causing Erza to laugh and shake her head.

Half an hour after the boys' exit, Happy flew into the guild. He looked traumatized. "Luushy! Erza!" He cried, before flying over to the two women. "What's wrong Happy?" Erza asked. "N-Natsu a-and Gray!" Happy cried. "T-They...! They're d-doing dirty things together! I heard Natsu saying things!" He exclaimed.

Erza bit her lip to stop from laughing before she began snickering, then all out laughing. "It's not funny! My eyes...I can't unsee that!" Happy exclaimed.

"Unsee what?" Loke asked, after conveniently showing back up. "Ack! Where'd you come from?!" Lucy exclaimed as Loke tried to look down her top. "Kyaaa! You pervert!" She yelled, before punching Loke hard, sending him flying into a pillar.

Happy flew off to be alone, he rocked back and forth in the corner, hugging his legs. "Make it stop...go away," he muttered, causing those near him to shake their heads and laugh a bit.

* * *

Natsu lay among the mussed sheets on the bed he and Gray shared. Gray was holding him, and they were both covered in a light sheen of sweat, the sheets covering their lower regions, but it was clear the two were naked.

Natsu had a bunch of hickeys on his neck, and Gray had an obvious bite mark on his collarbone. "T-that was..." Gray said while catching his breath. "Amazing!" Natsu laughed as his fingers drew designs on his lover's chest.

"We're officially official mates now Gray," Natsu said happily, before climbing on top of Gray again, one knee on either side of the older male. "We weren't before?" Gray asked, slightly confused. "No..we were, but not with the bites," Natsu clarified. He ground his hips into Gray's, causing the other to groan loudly. "Natsu!" He said, his hands flying to the slimmer hips of his lover.

"Hnn.." Natsu hummed out as his lover slipped inside of him. He giggled and moved a bit, 'testing the waters' as it were. Eventually, he was a moaning sweaty mess once more, his lover collapsing on top of him after switching their positions during their coitus.

Natsu giggled a bit, now finally sated as he curled up against Gray. "I love you Gray," he said. Gray smiled. "I love you too Natsu," he said, placing a kiss on the sweaty hair of his lover.

Natsu yawned, and eventually fell asleep curled into the side of Gray.

Gray joined Natsu shortly after the other had fallen asleep, that vigorous workout had worn him out too, who knew Natsu would be able to go so many rounds?!

Gray held his lover close a smile present on both their faces as they slept.

* * *

It wouldn't dawn on the two boys until much later what happened that night as they made love repeatedly.

* * *

**Two Weeks Later**

* * *

Natsu groaned as he worshiped the porcelain throne once again in the morning. "Natsu, are you okay?" Gray asked, his voice laced with concern. "I-I'm..ugh fine..." Natsu said weakly as he emptied his stomach into the toilet.

"You don't sound okay, you've been sick for almost a week now. I think we should take you to see the old woman," Gray said. "I'm fine Gray, really," Natsu said. He flushed the toilet, then rinsed his mouth out with some water and mouthwash. He stepped out of the bathroom, his skin was paler then Gray was used to seeing. Though Natsu still ate like a horse, so he didn't know if maybe the other had eaten something spoiled.

"Come on, for me Natsu?" Gray asked, practically begging his smaller lover to go get seen. He was worried for him. "Fine..." Natsu said. Gray smiled and picked his lover up in his arms, he then carried him to Porylusica's house in the woods.

"This had better be good, human," Porylusica said. "Natsu has been sick for the past week," Gray said. "Bring him inside, I'll take a look at him," Porylusica said. Gray nodded and carried Natsu inside. "I'll be right outside, alright Natsu?" Gray said. "Yeah," Natsu said, smiling tiredly. He'd been sleeping more, getting sick frequently and shying away from brawling. Gray was really concerned.

After about twenty minutes the old woman's door opened again. "He's not sick," She said simply. "He's not? Then why has he been getting sick every morning?" he asked. "He's pregnant you idiot," Porylusica said, glaring at Gray who flinched away from her. "P-Pregnant?" Gray asked, gulping slightly. _'Erza is going to kill me!'_ He thought to himself. "He can go now, I gave him an herbal remedy that helps with the morning sickness. Take care of him boy," Porylusica said.

Natsu bit his bottom lip as he walked out of the old woman's house. He looked a bit scared as he looked at his mate. "G-Gray?" he whimpered. "Yes Natsu?" Gray asked. "I-Is...this okay?" Natsu asked, worried. "Yes. We're...going to have a family Natsu. After everything we've had happen to us, we deserve one," Gray said, smiling at his lover. "Shall we tell the guild, or wait?" Gray asked. "Um...I want to tell them,"

The two made their way to the guild holding hands. Gray carried the ring he'd bought in Onibus in his pocket. He figured, now would be a good time to propose, in front of everyone that they considered family. He smiled as they entered the guild.

"Hello Gray, Natsu!" Lucy said, waving at the two boys. "We have an announcement to make!" Gray said. Natsu smiled at Gray, their hands were held together, their fingers linked as they looked at their family. "Well, get on with it then!" Macao said with a laugh. "We're having a baby," Gray said, smiling at Natsu lovingly.

"W-What!?" Erza exclaimed, standing up quickly as she advanced on Gray and Natsu, before standing in front of Gray, an angry look on he face. "Y-You tainted him!" she exclaimed. She thought of Natsu as a younger brother, so Gray had a feeling something like this would happen.

Rather than get intimidated by Erza like he normally would, Gray retracted his hand from Natsu's, causing his lover to pout and turn to face him.

Gray fell to one knee in front of Natsu, who tilted his head to the side and blinked, his cheeks flushed softly. "Gray...what are you doing?" Natsu asked cutely.

Gray took Natsu's hands into his. "Natsu Dragneel, will you make me the happiest man in Fiore, and spend the rest of time together with me at your side? Will you do me the honor of marrying me?" Gray asked. Natsu blinked, his face turning a deep crimson. "G-Gray..Y-yes!" Natsu said, tears in his eyes as he nodded. The guild erupted into loud cheers, and yells. All happy for the couple.

"We'll have to set the wedding for before I get too big," Natsu said with a soft laugh. Gray chuckled. "When would you like it?" Gray asked. "Sometime...in the next month?" Natsu said. "Sounds good," Gray said.

"Ooh! I want to help you guys set up the wedding!" Levy exclaimed. "I'll find the best cake ever!" Erza said, her eyes sparkling. "I'll help with the tuxes! Are you going to have a maid of honor and brides maids?" Lucy asked. Natsu blinked and looked at Gray.

"Well, we are two guys..." Gray said. "But Natsu would look so cute in a dress!" The women exclaimed. Natsu bit his lip. "F-For Gray...I will wear one for our wedding...or a white tux..." Natsu said softly. "Whichever you want Natsu. I'll be happy," Gray said. "You better keep your tux on during the wedding Gray," Natsu said. "If you strip, I'll kill you," Erza said, her eyes flashing dangerously. Gray gulped. "A-Aye," he said.

* * *

**I hope you're all liking this still, we're drawing to the end of this but that means I can work on the sequel and other bits for it.  
**


	16. Of Weddings and Endings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gray and Natsu's wedding finally happens, and they begin their lives together. Is it all happiness or is there a threat on the horizon?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter in the rewrite, I hope you're all as excited about the upcoming works that go along with this one as much as mdelpin is!

* * *

**Recap:** **_"Well, we are two guys..." Gray said. "But Natsu would look so cute in a dress!" The women exclaimed. Natsu bit his lip. "F-For Gray...I will wear one for our wedding...or a white tux..." Natsu said softly. "Whichever you want Natsu. I'll be happy," Gray said. "You better keep your tux on during the wedding Gray," Natsu said. "If you strip, I'll kill you," Erza said, her eyes flashing dangerously. Gray gulped. "A-Aye," he said._ **

* * *

After the cheering from the guild stopped, Juvia stepped forward. "Um...Gray-sama, how is...Natsu pregnant?" she asked, rather curious. The guild members murmured among one another after the question was asked.

"Gihi," Gajeel said as all the guild members focused on the couple at the doors. "Well...I'm not entirely sure myself," Gray said, he looked to Natsu.

"It's a submissive dragon slayer thing," Gajeel said loudly, his voice almost echoing in the guild. The members, plus Gray and Natsu focused on the iron dragon slayer.

"You seem to know about this, care to elaborate?" Gray asked. Gajeel shrugged. "I knew by his smell when we met that Salamander was a sub. Gihi," Gajeel began. "His scent already reeked of the ice bastard though, so even if I had tried to court him back then it would have simply backfired," he kept going.

"Anyway, Metallicana explained to me the whole deal about mating and shit, so it's pretty simple," he said. "Natsu is very powerful he's got a fiery temper and the firepower to match. He's the type of submissive that needs to be tamed, which is where ice bastard comes in. The dragon aspect of him being a submissive is how he's able to carry," he ran a hand through his hair a bit. "Natsu and Gray's power combined, plus Natsu being a dragon slayer and a submissive is how the child was created," Gajeel went on.

Natsu blinked and tilted his head to the side. "While it's not exactly normal, it was pretty common back when dragons ruled the skies or so Metallicana said. He explained that to ensure strong offspring, the submissive dragon slayers would drink potions, herb mixtures or use a type of lost magic to get pregnant. Female dragon slayers existed, but as of now there are only mostly males."

"So...basically due to people fucking with nature in the past Natsu is pregnant from Gray now?" Loke asked, his eyebrow quirked. "Pretty much, through the magic in the air and their own personal power levels likely helped as well," Gajeel said. "So...how will I give birth?" Natsu asked, looking at his still flat stomach with a frown. "Probably c-section, that'd be my guess," Gajeel said. "I never asked, because I figured I'd never come across a mated submissive like you pinky. Gihi," he finished.

Natsu frowned as he looked at his abs. They'd be going away due to him being pregnant, he was happy, but also scared. It was a normal feeling, for a woman. He guessed he was considered one being submissive and a carrier.

"Am I a freak?" Natsu asked quietly. "NO! You're just Natsu, the fire eating dragon slayer. We're in this together, remember that Natsu," Gray said, before he stood up and pressed a kiss to the back of Natsu's hand. Natsu blushed a bit at the action, and a round of 'Awww!' went around the guild.

Gray gently wrapped his arms around Natsu and pressed his lips to the shorter males forehead. Natsu leaned into the touch and smiled. His fits of laughter had stopped, it was likely due to his heat passing finally. Then again, with a child on the way, it'd be odd if he was still heated as he was.

* * *

The passing days flew by quickly. The entire guild taking part in helping get ready for Fairy Tail's first ever gay wedding. Some people from other guilds even took the time to come by and help out.

Lyon was making some animated ice sculptures, Juvia made some small rivers where rose petals were strewn about.

Even Sting and Rogue had shown up to help with the setup. Sting, of course, was upset 'his' Natsu-san was with another and not him, but he was happy for him regardless, then again Rogue would kick his ass if he did something disruptive, and Sting knew that.

* * *

**You're Invited!**

**Location: Fairy Tail Guild Hall**

**Time: Noon**

**We're celebrating Fairy Tail's first wedding in many years.**

**Come and see Gray Fullbuster and Natsu Dragneel tie the knot!**

**Food and entertainment supplied by Fairy Tail, Sabertooth and Lamia Scale guilds.**

**This is a once in a lifetime event!**

* * *

Natsu was pouting as Lucy had Cancer do his hair for the wedding. "Come on Lucy..." he said. Lucy shook her head. "You're going to get married today Natsu, you have to look amazing," she said. Erza nodded. "She's right Natsu, you have to look your best for this day," she got stars in her eyes as she spoke.

Natsu sulked a bit and sighed, he eventually let the girls and Cancer get him ready. "Do you think Gray will like the..dress?" Natsu asked. They'd opted for the dress, as Natsu was the "bride". Erza was the maid of honor, Lucy and Juvia were bridesmaids. Lyon was the best man, Loke and Gajeel were groomsmen.

Gray stood at the altar, his usually shaggy and messy hair tamer, but still had a sexy mussed look to it. His tuxedo was a rick black, he had a dark blue silk shirt and a white tie on. While uncomfortable, he was controlling himself to not strip. He did not want to die. Especially on his wedding day.

Erza and Lucy were still upstairs helping Natsu into his gown, which had been fitted to him. It was a creamy white with a bit of dark blue lace on it. It hugged the natural shape his body had. He looked at himself in the mirror and blushed. "I look so girly," he said. Lucy smiled. "You're going to knock him dead Natsu," she said, trying to reassure him.

The dress itself wasn't too bad looking, it was a bit of a gothic design, but in white with very little dark blue. He tugged at the collar, it was rubbing against his neck. They'd opted for a tall neck just in case Gray had marked Natsu up, and to ensure the smaller male would not be wearing his scarf during the reception.

Makarov was at the front with Gray. Loke, Gajeel, Lyon, and Juvia waited for the three upstairs to come down. Gildarts was a surprise for Natsu, the 'bride' had no idea his father figure was there, and he also didn't know the man was the one giving him to Gray.

The wedding march began, causing Natsu to bite his lip and squirm.

Wendy walked down the aisle tossing rose petals into the small rivers Juvia had made. She was wearing a deep purple dress that matched the colors of the bridesmaids.

Behind her was Happy, carrying the rings.

Erza emerged from the stairs, and Lyon offered her his arm. Arms linked, the two made their way to the front, Lyon stepping beside Gray, Erza on the other side.

Lucy walked down, Loke held his arm out for her, she took it and they did the same.

Juvia walked with Gajeel, and they too split off.

Gildarts waited at the bottom of the stairs for Natsu.

"Looking good Natsu," Gildarts said, smiling.

Natsu blinked. "G-Gildarts!" he exclaimed, before smiling. The older man stepped to the side and he and Natsu made their way down the aisle.

Gray's eyes were drawn to Natsu, the dress he wore made his natural shape show more, certainly more than his normal attire did. He smiled at Natsu, causing the pinkette to blush.

Gildarts and Natsu arrived at the foot of the two steps where Gray stood next to Makarov. "Who gives Natsu Dragneel away?" he asked.

"I do," Gildarts said before Natsu stepped up and stood in front of Gray. His mate was always handsome, but seeing him in a tux made Natsu's mind go wild. He was drop dead gorgeous in the tuxedo.

"Welcome everyone, we are gathered here today to join these two souls in matrimony," Makarov began. "If anyone has any reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace," he finished. Looking around as if to dare anyone to ruin this moment for the two boys. Smiling as no one made a move.

"Gray and Natsu have written their own vows, and they will recite them now. Gray," Makarov said, gesturing to the raven.

Gray smiled and took Natsu's hands in his, linking their fingers together.

"When we first met, I didn't know what to think of you. When my eyes fell on you then, I didn't know what it was I was feeling. I used to fight you, to get close to you, just to touch you and to feel your body heat," Gray began, his cheeks turning a light pink.

"As we grew older, those feelings blossomed into something else, I kept fighting you in hopes of changing them, and in the end, they did change. They changed from a mild like, to a full-blown love. I knew I wanted to spend my life with you, and if possible raise a family with you. Natsu Dragneel, you may be infuriating and frustrating on a good day, but even on your worst days I will still love you," he finished.

"Awww!" the girls said.

"Natsu, it is now your turn to say your vows," Makarov said.

Natsu smiled, he gently squeezed Gray's hands.

"When we first met, my initial reaction was 'Why is that boy naked?', then when you spoke I hated your attitude, and it led to us butting heads. We continued to fight for years. We grew from rivals to friends...friends to best friends, and finally, we blossomed into lovers," Natsu began.

"I can't imagine my life without you in it Gray Fullbuster. You've been the one for me since I realized I never hated you...but I loved you and I was confused," he sniffled, tears shining his eyes. "W-When you tried to use Iced Shell and I stopped you...it was because I couldn't bear the thought of not having you around," he said.

"Then you tried again, and I stood in front of you. Had you released the spell, it would have killed you and surrounded me in ice for eternity...we'd have been as one," he said. "I love everything about you Gray, every infuriating icy inch of you," he finished.

The guests all smiled, some had tears in their eyes from the vows.

"Now," Makarov said, Gray and Natsu kept staring into one another's eyes. "Gray Fullbuster, do you take Natsu Dragneel as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Gray said, a broad smile crossing his face as he responded.

"Do you Natsu Dragneel take this man, Gray Fullbuster as your lawfully wedded husband to have and to hold, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?" Makarov asked.

"I do," Natsu said, a smile matching Grays appearing on his face.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husbands, you may now kiss one another," Makarov said.

Gray pulled Natsu close and dipped him back a bit, before claiming his lips in a searing kiss that had the guests swooning. The two kept kissing until someone cleared their throat, then the two pulled apart blushing madly.

* * *

Natsu went to change into something else for the remainder of the night. He slipped into a white tuxedo with a red shirt and a white tie as he rejoined his husband down the stairs.

"You look amazing Natsu," Gray said.

"Alright, the bride is back! Queue the music!" Cana drunkenly yelled.

The beat of the song wasn't exactly slow, but the boys made the best of it regardless.

_Whenever I'm alone with you_   
_You make me feel like I am home again_   
_Whenever I'm alone with you_   
_You make me feel like I am whole again_

Gray and Natsu moved together on the dance floor, smiling at one another. Gray held Natsu by the waist, as Natsu wrapped his arms around the other man's shoulders.

_Whenever I'm alone with you_   
_You make me feel like I am young again_   
_Whenever I'm alone with you_   
_You make me feel like I am fun again_

_However far away_   
_I will always love you_   
_However long I stay_   
_I will always love you_   
_Whatever words I say_   
_I will always love you_   
_I will always love you_

Natsu's face was a deep crimson as Gray sang the words to him in his ear as they danced. The guests began dancing as well.

_Whenever I'm alone with you_   
_You make me feel like I am free again_   
_Whenever I'm alone with you_   
_You make me feel like I am clean again_

_However far away_   
_I will always love you_   
_However long I stay_   
_I will always love you_   
_Whatever words I say_   
_I will always love you_   
_I will always love you_

Natsu smiled brightly as he and Gray stopped moving at the end of the song before his husband leaned down and claimed his lips in a soft yet passionate kiss.

The guests clapped and cheered for the cute couple.

"Cake time!" Erza yelled as she brought in what had to be Fiore's largest wedding cake. It was elaborately decorated, and covered in strawberries.

Gray and Natsu walked over to the huge cake, together they cut a piece and shoved it into one another's faces while laughing. Of course, so they didn't waste any, the two would clean one another's faces before serving up the cake to the guests and themselves.

"This day has been nothing short of magic Gray, thank you," Natsu said, smiling as he ate a piece of the cake. They'd yet to find food Natsu wouldn't eat, but he'd been eating a lot of cold foods as well as hot. Gray worried about him, but remained quiet, he liked his balls where they were thanks much.

"I'm glad. I've enjoyed it so far as well Natsu," Gray said. "Our Honeymoon starts as soon as we finish here and you throw the bouquet of flowers," he finished. Natsu smiled.

"Well, we do have gifts to open too, and I think we had dessert before dinner, but who cares. It's our wedding!" Natsu laughed. He smiled at Gray, and Gray smiled back. "Tonight we leave Fiore as the Fullbusters," Gray said with a chuckle, causing Natsu to blush. "By the way, you looked amazing in the dress, and you look amazing now as well," Gray finished. Natsu smiled.

"The grooms should open their gifts now!" Juvia exclaimed as she stood by the massive pile of gifts. Gray and Natsu laughed a bit, but stood up and walked over. "Alright, everyone! We're opening our gifts, then we're going to eat the steak dinner before we head to our honeymoon. Make sure the top tier of the cake is saved for us, we'll eat it on our one year anniversary," Gray said.

"Alright Natsu and Gray, sit on the chairs, Juvia will hand you your gifts," Juvia said. Gray and Natsu sat down as the blue-haired woman began bringing their wedding gifts.

"From Cana Alberona," Juvia said. Gray tore into the paper and opened the box inside. "Uh...thanks I think?" he asked, pulling out a pair of hot pink fuzzy handcuffs. Cana cackled from where she sat.

"From Bixlow," Juvia said, handing the gift to Natsu. He ripped the paper open and found a snow cone making machine. "Thank you!" Natsu grinned, placing the gift down at his feet.

"From Elfman," Juvia said. Gray and Natsu tore the present open, inside was a variety of paints, charcoals and other art supplies. Gray blinked and looked at Elfman, who grinned a bit and gestured to Natsu. "You draw?" Gray asked. "Um...in my free time?" Natsu admitted his cheeks flushing.

"From Laxus!" Juvia said. Natsu blinked, Laxus was there? He looked around and spotted the dragon slayer leaning against the wall near his grandfather. Inside the box was a tea set, a rather expensive looking one at that. "Thanks!" Natsu smiled happily.

"From Happy, Lily, and Charla!" Juvia said, placing a rather oddly shaped gift on the twos laps. They opened it and found a fish-shaped picture frame with the three exceeds in it, all fishing together while eating kiwis. "Aww, it's cute!" Natsu said.

The boys kept opening their gifts. From Makarov, they received two tickets to an all-expense paid hotel and spa stay. The boys were using them for their honeymoon!

From Juvia they got a chocolate fountain, Gray grinned as he got ideas on how to use it.

From Sting, the boys got a set of ceramic bowls.

From Rogue, they got a set of cutlery. A nice set.

They got various home items, some sexual ones and various other odds and ends. Trinkets, decorations and a bedding set that was good for both of them.

"Thank you, everyone!" Natsu said smiling happily. He was so glad they had such an amazing family and so many friends.

"Dinner time everyone!" Makarov yelled as the dinner plates were brought in. Everyone was given a perfectly cooked steak, a baked potato, and some vegetables. After the dinner was eaten, they had a second dessert before it was time to throw the bouquet.

"Alright, everyone ready?" Natsu asked as he looked over his shoulder. "Yeah!" "YES!" the people yelled. There weren't only women, but men as well in the group. "Alright! One!"

"Two!"

"Three!" Natsu yelled as he threw the flowers back. Then all hell broke loose.

Erza and Mira dove for the flowers, only to get knocked to the side by Juvia who was wrestling with...Cana!? The group all rolled around, rips and tears were heard. Then all of a sudden a shadow grabbed the flowers and dragged them to...Rogue.

"Time to go!" Gray said, helping Natsu off the table. "We'll be back in two weeks everyone!" Natsu called as the two made their way outside. There was a carriage waiting for them, Natsu turned green just looking at it, but he got in with Gray who held him, the chill from his mate making his nausea go away.

* * *

The boys arrived at the resort, they knew Lucy and Erza would take their gifts to their house, the redhead had bullied an extra key out of Gray a long time before the two boys started dating.

* * *

It only took two hours to reach their honeymoon destination.

"So, I'm carrying you over the threshold Natsu," Gray said as he scooped his husband into his arms. Natsu let out a cute squeak as he was carried into the huge room they had for the next two weeks. The bed was covered in rose petals and there were candles lit all around the room.

Natsu laughed as he was laid on the bed, and he blushed a bit as he scooted back to lay on it flat. Gray crawled on top of him and showered him in soft kisses. "I missed you last night Natsu," he whispered into Natsu's ear, causing the shorter male to shudder and let out a puff of breath.

Natsu smiled as the two took off their clothes. Eventually, they were bare, and Gray was showering Natsu's skin with soft kisses as he climbed back up before kissing his lips.

Natsu smiled at Gray as he lay on the overly plush bed, the silken bedding chilly against his heated skin as his husband worshiped his body. His face was crimson, and his lips were kiss bruised, but they kept going regardless.

"Mmm...Gray..." Natsu moaned out, their bodies slick with sweat as they made love. Gray claimed Natsu's lips in a hungry kiss as they moved as one, the sound of skin hitting skin echoing along with their pants and moans.

Natsu's blunt nails dug into Gray's shoulders, and his toes curled as he let out a long moan.

Eventually, the two collapsed onto the now soiled bedding, Natsu was laughing as he panted and he smiled at his husband. Gray pulled Natsu against himself and ran his fingers through the pink hair, before kissing the top of Natsu's head.

After resting for about an hour, the two got off the bed and walked onto the balcony in their suite. "Wow, the view from here is amazing!" Natsu exclaimed. They had a view of the mountains and forest near them, as well as the beach. Gray smiled as he leaned against the wall while Natsu looked around like a kid in a candy shop.

"We should order dinner, everything is covered from the gift the Master gave us, so we can order to our heart's content," Gray said. "FOOD!" Natsu yelled, causing Gray to laugh and shake his head.

"Let's see...ah here we go," Gray said, pulling the various menus out from the side table. "They have...well everything it seems. Even food from other countries," he finished.

"Why don't we get a sampler from them all?" Natsu asked. "We can decide what we like and what we don't like, then we can order our meals," he finished. "Good idea," Gray said, and he dialed for room service.

Twenty minutes later the door was opened by room service. They had five different trays of samples from all the foods they had to offer. Gray and Natsu ate a few bites from each to see what they liked and didn't like.

"I like this," Natsu said as he ate a spoonful of stroganoff. "Me too Natsu, it's creamy and has a hint of something in it. It's really good. Should we get it?" Gray asked. "Yeah, and for dessert, we can get the triple chocolate ice cream cake!" Natsu said while bouncing.

"What about to drink?" Gray asked. "Um...how about Kali Cola? Could be good?" Natsu asked, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "We'll be back in about half an hour with your food, enjoy your evening gentlemen," the room service person said, before bowing and leaving the room.

Natsu turned the tv on and began channel surfing. Gray lay down next to him on the bed, their legs were dangling off the foot. "So, do you like the honeymoon so far Natsu?" he asked. "I love anything, as long as you're with me. You know that" Natsu said.

"Tomorrow we'll go to the spa and hot springs. You should be alright, right?" Gray asked. Natsu shrugged. "I should be fine, the heat doesn't affect me, remember?" he chuckled. "True," Gray laughed a bit.

Their food arrived and the two of them ate it. "Mm! I want to find this recipe!" Natsu said as he devoured his food. "We can probably see if Levy can help find it when we get back to the guild in two weeks," Gray said. "Yay!" Natsu said before he began eating the cold cake that had hot chocolate all over it. "This is really good too!" he said, before offering Gray a bite.

Gray smiled and ate the bites his "wife" was feeding him. The two of them then sat and talked until they fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning the two woke up and showered together, though 'getting clean' was the idea, Gray seemed to have other plans. Not that Natsu was going to complain.

The two of them then made their way to the spa and hot spring area of the resort and began relaxing. They spent the entire day together after that, eating at a restaurant and then heading back to the hotel.

The two weeks went by rather quickly for them, and soon enough they were on their way home. Natsu was curled up against Gray as the carriage took them back to Magnolia.

* * *

It would be some months before Natsu would be able to join the team on any jobs, and he sulked a lot. Gray saved as much jewel as he could during the months that Natsu was pregnant so they could renovate the second bedroom into one for the child that was going to join their family.

It would be a night Gray and the girls were on a mission when Natsu awoke in an intense amount of pain. "Happy!" he cried out, hoping his exceed was still at the house, Gray had told Happy to stay near Natsu, so the blue exceed was indeed home.

"What's the matter Natsu!?" Happy asked as he flew into the room.

Natsu didn't really look pregnant, he still had his abs and his thin frame. The draining of his magic and the fact that he was always tired plus Porylusica examined him monthly showed something there.

It was a giant mass of magic, that was taking the form of a child, Gray and Natsu's child to be precise, and now that mass of magical energy needed a way to get out. "Get the old woman!" Natsu yelled, clenching his teeth as the burning pain hit him hard.

Fire was one thing, it didn't hurt, but this was so bad it was like he was being dipped in acid, and then having a metal cheese grater dragged along the sensitive skin.

When Porylusica arrived she had with her three vials. One blue to relax Natsu, one red to numb him, and one white to calm his nerves so she could work. Wendy had come along as well, just in case the old woman needed help, or something went wrong, though the small blue haired girl remained outside the room for some time.

After a few hours, Porylusica emerged from the bedroom, inside Natsu sat on the bed holding what looked to be a mass of energy. Wendy walked into the room and looked at Natsu, who looked tired. "Are you okay Natsu-nii?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm just a bit tired," Natsu said with a smile. The magic that was surrounding the squirming thing in Natsu's arms eventually dispelled, revealing a small raven-haired boy with bright green eyes. "Oh, he's so cute!" Wendy squealed softly, jumping from foot to foot as Natsu held the child.

Natsu smiled. "I named him Kyo, I hope Gray likes the name. Kyo Fullbuster," Natsu said. Wendy beamed. "I'm sure he'll love it," she said. Natsu yawned. "Come, girl, we should leave him to sleep. The child will be fine in his care, I told him what he needs to do," Porylusica said. "Alright, bye Natsu-nii!" Wendy said as she left with the old woman.

Happy flew into the room and sat at the edge of the bed. "Is that the baby Natsu? He's so small," he said. It was true, the baby was healthy, but he was really small. "He's healthy Happy," Natsu said. "Let's get some sleep, he has to meet his father when he gets home," Natsu said. Happy nodded, he curled up at the foot of the bed and went to sleep.

The next morning Natsu awoke to a tug on his hair. He laughed and pressed his lips to the forehead of Kyo. "Your father should be home soon Kyo," he smiled.

* * *

Gray and the girls arrived in Magnolia at noon. Gray stretched and yawned, before heading home. "Say hi to Natsu for us," Lucy said. "I will. You two take care now," Gray said, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he walked home.

When he walked inside he was expecting some sort of greeting, but he was greeted by nothing. The tv was off, then he heard a laugh followed by an "Ouch!" He headed towards the bedroom, when he opened the door he blinked, catching sight of Natsu holding a tiny baby in his arms. "Gray!" Natsu exclaimed, smiling happily.

"Natsu, is that...our baby?" Gray asked. He knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from his "wife". "Yes, this is Kyo, I hope that's okay...?" Natsu asked, biting his lip. "Kyo Fullbuster. It's perfect Natsu," Gray said as he sat at the edge of the bed.

"We should introduce him to the guild later," Gray said. "Right now, I want to spend time with it just being us. The Fullbuster family," he finished, smiling widely. "Maybe we should get Reedus to paint us as a family," Natsu said. Gray nodded. "We can ask him tomorrow when we go to the guild, for today we'll spend it together," Gray said.

Natsu handed Kyo to Gray, who held him with a smile. Kyo looked at Gray with wide green eyes. "He has my hair and skin color, but your eyes Natsu," Gray said. "I noticed when he was 'born'," Natsu said.

* * *

Even though it shouldn't have been possible, Natsu indeed did "give birth" to Kyo Fullbuster. The child was the perfect blend of Gray and Natsu, having Natsu's eyes and Grays' hair and skin color.

"I wonder what kind of magic he's going to have," Natsu said as he looked at their son. "We'll find out when he gets older," Gray said. Natsu beamed at his husband as he held their son.

* * *

**The End...?**

**Author's Note:**

> This rewrite and its upcoming sequel are dedicated to mdelpin. After a lot of chatting, she convinced me to rewrite and lengthen this before going on to making the sequel. I only hope I'm able to get it all done and it's decent enough of a read.


End file.
